Ithell Colquhoun

Emma Sharples explores the life and work of British artist and occultist Ithell Colquhoun.

Ithell Colquhoun (1906–1988) was an artist and occultist whose work encompassed figurative painting; collage; automatic or ‘mantic’ staining; costume, stage and mural designs; poetry, imaginative prose and critical writing. Contributing to Surrealism in Britain as well as to the wider movement, Colquhoun’s life and art were shaped by her occult worldview: a confluence of beauty, transformation and mythic landscapes governed by a vast, living system of magical connections. 

The MODERN WOMEN ARTISTS series of collectable books reveal an alternative history of art, telling the stories of important female artists whose work might otherwise be overlooked, overshadowed or forgotten. Read together, these books begin to redress the untold history of modern art. 

Emma Sharples is a researcher of modern British art and visual culture. Her AHRC-funded collaborative doctoral project with Tate and the University of Cambridge focuses on the archive of the artist and occultist Ithell Colquhoun (1906-1988), examining the ways in which she navigated the blurred boundaries between her art and occult practices. Emma has presented her research at the Paul Mellon Centre, Tate Britain, the Fitzwilliam Museum, and the Women’s Art Collection, Cambridge, and in 2022 co-convened the British Art Network-funded seminar ‘Curating Magic’. 

• Artist Ithell Colquhoun
• Dimensions 13.6 x 20.5 x 1.3 cm
• Author Emma Sharples
• ISBN 9781916515031
• Hardback Yes
• Number of illustrations 18 colour, 5 black and white
• Publisher Eiderdown Books
• No of pages 64