Dark Spirits: The Magical Art of Rosaleen Norton and Austin Osman Spare.
Brisbane AU: Salamander & Sons, 2012. Deluxe edition. Hardcover. Small quarto. 198pp. Full black leather with gilt lettering to upper cover and spine, heavy black endpapers. Illustrated in colour and black & white. Bibliography & index. The deluxe edition, limited to 95 hand-numbered copies, this being copy number 87. This edition includes a loose 9.5 x 7 inch b&w limited edition print with matching number of a work entitled "Qlipha" by Christopher Kramer (the titling is ambiguous at least and appears to indicate that the work is by Rosaleen Norton, but it most certainly is not, and is presumably a hommage to her or her work by Kramer). A richly-illustrated study of the two pre-eminent twentieth century artist-magicians: Rosaleen Norton and Austin Osman Spare, by Nevill Drury (author of "Pan's Daughter" and numerous studies of Western magical traditions). Drury gives a biographical overview and analysis of the occult symbolism and approaches of both artists; in his introduction the author recounts the importance of Norton and Spare in influencing his own interest and later exploration of both the Occult and Art. Numerous examples of the artists' work and contemporary photographs. A few natural faults to the leather (as common with this volume), else appears "as New", thus a tight, clean Fine copy (no dust jacket issued). The small number of this deluxe edition went out of print before official publication thus quickly became scarce. A lovely copy! Item #74913
ISBN: 9780980409987
Price: $650.00