Austin Osman Spare
Title unknown
c. 1950's, British
Watercolor and pencil on artist's board
8.2 x 6.7 inches (21 cm x 17 cm)
Provenance:
Coil Collection
This sidereal is unusual for facing the viewer head on and having three, rather than the expected two viewpoints. Obviously the head is elongated vertically so it can be viewed acutely along that axis for the face to assume normal proportions. But there is still asymmetry, especially in the cheeks. This can be resolved when viewed acutely from the horizontal axis.
Austin Osman Spare (30 December 1886 – 15 May 1956) was an English artist and occultist who worked as both a draughtsman and a painter. Influenced by symbolism and the artistic decadence of art nouveau, his art was known for its clear use of line, and its depiction of monstrous and sexual imagery. In an occult capacity, he developed idiosyncratic magical techniques including automatic writing, automatic drawing and sigilization based on his theories of the relationship between the conscious and unconscious self.