BOOK REVIEWS
I have dispensed with my 'Books of the Year' postings which covered the years 2009 and 2010, and now attempt to review a selection of books that I have read both good and bad, in editions old and new. Much of what I buy is often based on suggestions by others, or some train of thought that makes me think "maybe I should try..." so they are not necessarily all strange/supernatural fiction.
With many small press books costing around £35-£40 each, and some seemingly worthy tomes changing hands on the second hand market for many times that, these reviews may also give the potential purchaser some indication of what they might receive for their money. Needless to say, my opinions should not be given any great value as I bring my own foibles to every review and these may change at any time.
Phil Baker 'Austin Osman Spare'
(Strange Attractor 2011)
312 pages £25.00
312 pages £25.00
I have been a fan of the artist Austin Osman Spare (1886-1956) for many years now and was really looking forward to this biography.
I am very pleased to say that it does not let me down. Baker has done an excellent and (judging by the bibliography) thorough job assembling as many sources as possible on Spare and then trying to make sense of it all, a job made difficult because Spare, and his previous biographer Kenneth Grant, were both individuals who knew how to tell, or invent, a good story when it suited. This needed to be unravelled, as whilst Spares posthumous reputation owes a huge amount to the Grants, their works have a magickal agenda which has fed the myth of the occultist/artist and often uses language/concepts that are daunting for the general reader.
Of course Spares magical philosophy underpins much of his artwork, and Baker plays a decent hand of explaining it in layman's terms. This is no mean feat as Spares writings are, at times, very difficult to grasp, often using words or terms invented or misunderstood by the writer himself which makes life, and sentence structure, difficult for the reader.
The 'legend' is that Spare was a feted very early in his career and decided to withdraw from the world to practise his art in relative reclusiveness. Whilst the first part is certainly true, the latter hides a sadder story. Baker suggests that Spare was actually an artist 'out of time' in that his idiosyncratic style(s) were really just behind the times, his early work too '1890s', in that he acknowledged spirits and automatic drawing; while his later work was not 'modernist' enough; and/or his subject matter too grotesque. Baker notes how many of the newspaper reviews speak of Spares work (with the benefit of hindsight of course) as being great but that the new material under review was too odd or old fashioned in style.
Spare was fortunate to have a number of patrons and enthusiastic collectors and friends through the years, ranging from George Raffalovich, through Hannen Swaffer, Dennis Bardens, Frank Letchford and of course the Grants (Steffi and Kenneth) though generally speaking it seems that their help only just kept Spare from the metaphorical workhouse as he seems chronically short of money from the mid 1920s. Spare could have made a decent living painting portraits (Baker rightly points to his paintings of London 'types' as among his best works) but he was unwilling to work outside his various studios (ie his flats) and potential clients probably baulked at visiting them as they sound pretty squalid. Bakers descriptions are very evocative of south London immediately post war, and chime well with tales told by my mother who was a social worker in that area at the same time.
Bakers style is direct and down to earth, which are good traits in a biographer. He has affinity with his subject but maintains critical distance. He has certainly discovered a lot of new material and makes the most of it.
The book is a handsome affair a nice format, and selection of colour plates as well as numerous b/w illustrations within the text itself.
Of course every Spare lover will already have it, but this is also essential reading for anyone interested in 'outsider' or 'inspired' artists in the manner of Blake, or with an interest in post war occultism in general. Will this bring him more recognition from the mainstream art world? I fear not. I think it will take a monograph from the likes of Taschen to do that. I hope Baker is sending them a copy.
Buy it here.
I am very pleased to say that it does not let me down. Baker has done an excellent and (judging by the bibliography) thorough job assembling as many sources as possible on Spare and then trying to make sense of it all, a job made difficult because Spare, and his previous biographer Kenneth Grant, were both individuals who knew how to tell, or invent, a good story when it suited. This needed to be unravelled, as whilst Spares posthumous reputation owes a huge amount to the Grants, their works have a magickal agenda which has fed the myth of the occultist/artist and often uses language/concepts that are daunting for the general reader.
Of course Spares magical philosophy underpins much of his artwork, and Baker plays a decent hand of explaining it in layman's terms. This is no mean feat as Spares writings are, at times, very difficult to grasp, often using words or terms invented or misunderstood by the writer himself which makes life, and sentence structure, difficult for the reader.
The 'legend' is that Spare was a feted very early in his career and decided to withdraw from the world to practise his art in relative reclusiveness. Whilst the first part is certainly true, the latter hides a sadder story. Baker suggests that Spare was actually an artist 'out of time' in that his idiosyncratic style(s) were really just behind the times, his early work too '1890s', in that he acknowledged spirits and automatic drawing; while his later work was not 'modernist' enough; and/or his subject matter too grotesque. Baker notes how many of the newspaper reviews speak of Spares work (with the benefit of hindsight of course) as being great but that the new material under review was too odd or old fashioned in style.
Spare was fortunate to have a number of patrons and enthusiastic collectors and friends through the years, ranging from George Raffalovich, through Hannen Swaffer, Dennis Bardens, Frank Letchford and of course the Grants (Steffi and Kenneth) though generally speaking it seems that their help only just kept Spare from the metaphorical workhouse as he seems chronically short of money from the mid 1920s. Spare could have made a decent living painting portraits (Baker rightly points to his paintings of London 'types' as among his best works) but he was unwilling to work outside his various studios (ie his flats) and potential clients probably baulked at visiting them as they sound pretty squalid. Bakers descriptions are very evocative of south London immediately post war, and chime well with tales told by my mother who was a social worker in that area at the same time.
Bakers style is direct and down to earth, which are good traits in a biographer. He has affinity with his subject but maintains critical distance. He has certainly discovered a lot of new material and makes the most of it.
The book is a handsome affair a nice format, and selection of colour plates as well as numerous b/w illustrations within the text itself.
Of course every Spare lover will already have it, but this is also essential reading for anyone interested in 'outsider' or 'inspired' artists in the manner of Blake, or with an interest in post war occultism in general. Will this bring him more recognition from the mainstream art world? I fear not. I think it will take a monograph from the likes of Taschen to do that. I hope Baker is sending them a copy.
Buy it here.
