Ithell Colquhoun: Pioneer Surrealist Artist, Occultist, Writer and Poet

by Eric Ratcliffe

The skills of Ithell Colquhoun in her main practice, that of artist and pioneer in this country of surrealistic art, have been long recognised. Additionally, other interests - alchemy, Earth-magic, active occultism, poetry, druidism, the pre-Christian pagan calendar, the history and membership of the Golden Dawn - and writing of and involvement in these interests by book publication and in a widely scattered field of correspondence, have created a miscellany of truly gargantuan proportion. Eric Ratcliffe considered it was time to get together some of these pieces, to add something of what is known of Colquhoun's early life and family history and to take the opportunity of listing a comprehensive calendar of her work and exhibitions. The result is neither strictly biographical nor a treatise on any one subject, but it is a first gathering of the roots, passions and multi-directions of this artist. It is a patchwork containing many launch-pads for exploration of the magical and mythical atmosphere which this artist existed in and created. Here therefore is a contribution towards solving a jigsaw and a wind-catch of the minor cyclones of lthell's dedicatory interests, also serving as a record of her accomplishments in the art field.

318 pages, Paperback

First published October 9, 2007

Reviews

[Francisca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es un libro bellísimo que nos introduce en la vida y obra de Ithell Colquhoun, artista mística y surrealista muy desconocida en España. Me gustan las pequeñas anotaciones de sus diarios, sus poemas y obras pictóricas que buscan lo transcendental y lo que va más allá de lo humano, su pasión y amor por la naturaleza y cómo habitaba en ella. Sin duda es un libro que voy a regalar a amigos y amigas artistas porque la considero tan fundamental, tan viva y tan precursora de mucho de los trabajos que se hacen ahora que es irremediable no darla a conocer entre aquellos que habitamos las artes.

Me siento muy identificada con ella, con su manera de sentir la vida y de cómo la ve más allá de lo que los propios sentidos nos dan. Ese sexto sentido que se agota en las obras y a lo que no se puede llegar. Un libro fundamental para entender el anticipo de las vanguardias y del interés por otras formas de ver y entender nuestra existencia, tan mágica y latente en la naturaleza.