Jerusalem Press, London, 2015. Hardback w/ dust-jacket. Limited edition of 800 copies only. Octavo (6.5 inches x 9.5 inches). 249 pages.

Book is in near fine condition.

An extensive and thought-provoking book by one of the most prolific contributors to Sparean scholarship, Dr William Wallace. Continuing the inquiry of volatile essences in the art of Austin Osman Spare, this current volume includes 93 colour images and 50 unpublished pieces of artwork. Importantly, 20 ink drawings from very early in Spare’s career are also included after being discovered in a private collection. This edition also features a new introduction by Wallace, examining the themes and obsessions found in Spare’s work.

When exploring the creative energy prevalent in the artwork of Austin Osman Spare, Wallace not only turned to occult texts and alchemical artwork, he also found an influx of influence from biblical texts as well as the works of Blake, Hogarth and Shakespeare.

This depth of research enabled Wallace to locate solutions to various Spare enigmas, which are presented in the text. Keys are decoded, his correspondence with Kenneth Grant are examined and his friend Frank Letchford is recalled.

Michael Staley provides a forward to the book and Stephen Pochin concludes with a study of Spare’s appropriation of artists motifs.