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
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.