Austin Osman Spare: The Chaos of the Normal

Austin Osman Spare’s name may not be familiar to many people these days, but this visionary artist, writer and occultist created some of the most striking art that I’ve ever seen. Comparable in some ways to the work of Aubrey Beardsley, Spare’s work echoed the dark sexuality of the Decadents while incorporating new ideas inspired by the Spiritualist movement, psychology and early twentieth century occultists.

A colleague of Aleister Crowley and Kenneth Grant, Spare published his work in cryptic tomes with evocative titles like “Earth Inferno”and “The Anathema of Zos.” These books – equal parts grimoires and art objects – featured dozens of dark, lurid and sometimes inscrutable drawings that Spare clamed were of spirits and demons, alongside his magical philosophy, which was often written in an invented alphabet Spare referred to as “Sigils.”

Drafted in World War I, the English artist was commissioned as an official war artist, traveling to France to create works that today still hang in the Imperial War Museum. After the war, Spare became something of a recluse, selling his work for a pittance and eventually fading into obscurity.

Spare’s work is difficult to find in print, and is often limited to small print runs from even smaller publishing houses. To the extent that he is remembered, Spare is hailed as an influence on the “Chaos Magick” movement of the eighties and nineties. Sadly, the work of this major artist – a true Outsider in every sense of the word – has never received its fair due from the art community.

Fortunately, however, Spare’s work remains a presence on the internet, with a small number of sites (1, 2) devoted to sharing the creative output of this art pioneer.

I’ve uploaded a few plates from my own collection HERE. (Warning: some mildly NSFW).