Publication: Austin Osman Spare: Psychopathia Sexualis

Publisher: Fulgur Press

Contributors: Robert Shehu-Ansell, Dr. Jeremy Biles, Elijah Burgher, Rebecca Fasman, Ryan M. Pfeiffer and Rebecca Walz.

Programming: Reception and Lecture Presentation with Robert Shehu-Ansell, Dr. Jeremy Biles and Q & A Panel Discussion.

Book Launch Lecture Presentation:

International Museum of Surgical Science

May 15th, 2:30-5 PM

1524 N Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL

Proof of vaccination and proper mask-wearing is required at this event.

Book Launch Reception:

Iceberg Projects

May 14th, 4 -6 PM

7714 N Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL

RSVP is not required for this reception.

Please note, book sales will be conducted at both events. Sexually explicit images and content will be shown and discussed at these events.

In celebration of the publication’s release, Fulgur Press, the Kinsey Institute, and Iceberg Projects will present two days of events. On May 14th from 4-6 pm, Iceberg Projects will host a reception where the full Psychopathia Sexualis folio will be on display. Guests traveling from out of town are encouraged to attend this event in order to view the exhibition. On May 15th from 2:30-5 pm, The International Museum of Surgical Science will host an afternoon lecture and discussion with presentations by Robert Shehu-Ansell and Dr. Jeremy Biles, concluding with a Q&A discussion with special guests, the publication’s essayists and the exhibition curators. Both events are free and open to the public. Please kindly RSVP to attend the lecture presentation at The International Museum of Surgical Science as the capacity is limited.

There are few works in the life of Austin Osman Spare as notorious as his illustrations for Krafft-Ebing’s Psychopathia Sexualis. First documented in the early 1930s by the socialite Viola Bankes, Spare shared various anecdotes about this commission with friends and acquaintances until the end of his life. However, drawings of a directly sexual nature remain surprisingly scarce in the artist’s oeuvre, despite his reputation for producing erotica. Recent biographers have even cast doubts on Spare’s anecdotes, noting Krafft-Ebing died long before the young artist became widely known. The discovery of the Psychopathia Sexualis folio in the archives of the Kinsey Institute is therefore a major milestone towards reclaiming and understanding the life story of the artist.

Working closely with the team at the Kinsey Institute, Fulgur Press is pleased to offer you the first publication of this masterpiece of the grotesque. Edited by Ryan M. Pfeiffer, Rebecca Walz, and Robert Shehu-Ansell, this book reproduces the forty-four portfolio drawings in astonishing detail, drawn from hi-resolution scans made directly from the original artwork.

These extraordinary works by Spare have been augmented with a preface from Rebecca Fasman, curator at the Kinsey Institute, an introduction detailing the discovery by Ryan M. Pfeiffer and Rebecca Walz, and illustrated analytical essays from Elijah Burgher, Jeremy Biles, and Robert Shehu-Ansell. N.B. This is the largest book we have yet produced (15 inches by 10 inches) and it matches the original format of Spare’s 1913 edition of The Book of Pleasure.

For the gallery reception, Iceberg Projects and the Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, are pleased to present Austin Osman Spare: Psychopathia Sexualis, the first solo exhibition for the artist in North America. This landmark exhibition celebrates the centennial anniversary of a rare folio of erotic drawings from the Kinsey Institute’s Collections. The works on display depict numerous tableaus of a grotesque bacchanalia featuring monstrous figures, satyroi, animals, and even portraits of Spare himself. The unveiling of this folio, on view in its entirety for the first time, contributes forty-four new works to the oeuvre of Austin Osman Spare (1886–1956). We welcome guests during the Book Launch reception on May 14th from 4-6 pm, as well as Sundays from 11 am-4 pm. For more information regarding Iceberg projects please visit our website.

We look forward to welcoming you to celebrate this landmark exhibition and publication.

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Lecture Series and Discussion at The International Museum of Surgical Science, May 15th:

Robert Shehu-Ansell - Keynote Lecture

Director & Founder of Fulgur Press, UK

Austin Osman Spare and the Grotesque: A Fruitful Violence

Robert Ansell, founder of Fulgur Press, will present new scholarship based on Spare’s recently discovered Psychopathia Sexualis folio. This discussion will be laid out in the context of Spare’s oeuvre, his circumstances in 1922, and draw comparisons with other published works to explore Spare’s political relationship with the grotesque.

Dr. Jeremy Biles

Associate Professor at the School of Art Institute of Chicago

Under the Sign of the Sphinx: Spare, Drawing, and the Anal Erotics of Everyday Life

The anus is an occulted riddle, a murmuring enigma, coursing through the work of Austin Osman Spare. Bringing Spare’s visual and written work into contact with psychoanalysis, Biles will formulate an “anal-surrealist” approach to drawing as part of an “erotics of everyday life.”

The lectures will conclude with Q&A discussion with special guests Jesse Bransford, Elijah Burgher along with the publication’s contributors and exhibition curators.

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Lecturers:

Robert Shehu-Ansell (b.1965) is a publisher, curator and independent scholar. An experienced public speaker, he occasionally lectures on his field of expertise – esoteric art of the 20th century with a specific focus on Austin Osman Spare. Through his publishing company FULGUR PRESS he has represented esoteric artists in book form since 1992. Robert is also the publisher of several series publications, including Black Mirror and Abraxas Journal, which has been described as ‘today’s pre-eminent voice for the serious study of occult and esoteric expression.’ He has been interviewed for the BBC Culture Show, the blog Boing Boing, and Dazed and Confused. He lives in Somerset with his wife and publishing co-director, Aisha Shehu-Ansell.

Dr. Jeremy Biles, PhD, teaches courses on religion, philosophy, and art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He is the author of Ecce Monstrum: Georges Bataille and the Sacrifice of Form (Fordham University Press, 2007) and co-editor (with Kent Brintnall) of Negative Ecstasies: Georges Bataille and the Study of Religion (Fordham, 2015). His current book project formulates and demonstrates a praxis of "anal surrealism" in the context of an "erotics of everyday life."

Panelists:

Jesse Bransford is a New York-based artist whose work is exhibited internationally at venues including The Carnegie Museum of Art, the UCLA Hammer Museum, PS 1 Contemporary Art Center, and the CCA Wattis Museum among others. He holds degrees from the New School for Social Research (BA), Parsons School of Design (BFA) and Columbia University (MFA). An associate professor of art at New York University, Bransford's work has been involved with belief and the visual systems it creates since the 1990s. He lectures widely on his work and the topics surrounding his work. He is the co-organizer of the biennial Occult Humanities Conference and an editorial member of the Black Mirror Network.

Elijah Burgher (b.1978, Kingston, NY) received a MFA from the School of the Art Institute, Chicago and a BA from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY. His work has been featured in the 2014 Whitney Biennial, the 2014 Gwangju Biennial, Centre d’Art Contemporain in Geneva, Switzerland, The Drawing Center in New York City, and LAXART in Los Angeles. His work has been discussed in The New York Times, Art in America, Frieze, ArtReview, Artforum.com and was included in VITAMIN D2, the hardcover survey of contemporary drawing. Elijah Burgher is represented by Western Exhibitions in Chicago, Horton Gallery in Dallas, and P.P.O.W in New York City. He lives and works in Berlin.

Curators:

Rebecca Fasman is the Curator for the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University. She holds an MA in Museum Studies from New York University and a BA in Visual and Critical Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Rebecca has spent the last 20 years working in museums and art institutions, including but not limited to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York City), the National Gallery of Art (Washington, DC), Deutsche Bank (New York City), and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. Her curatorial practice focuses on artists who have been left out of the mainstream art historical canon due to any number of systems of oppression, and to expose methods of marginalization within the art world and society at large.

Ryan M. Pfeiffer is an interdisciplinary artist, writer and curator who lives and works in Chicago, IL. He holds a BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His artworks have been exhibited internationally at the Institute of Contemporary Art (Singapore), Breese Little (London), Abbaye Saint–Magloire (France), The International Museum of Surgical Science (Chicago) LAXART (Los Angeles), 80 WSE Gallery (New York), among others. His works and exhibitions have been included in The New City, The New York Times, Artforum, The Center for Extreme Anthropologie, and the Religious Studies Review Journal. In addition, he has been an editor and contributing writer to the following publications and zines: Delineatas Magicae Mysticum Cacas, Vol. I-IV; Ape Piss Press, 2013; Metal & Meat: A Glimpse into the Chicago Underground, Dead Publications, 2012; and Goat Fucker Comix, Co-Founder, Vol. I-III, 2010-2013. His primary focus is a collaborative practice with his partner Rebecca Walz. Their artworks draw upon their combined interests in prehistoric & ancient art, archeo-anthropology, mythology, and historical erotica.

Rebecca Walz is a Chicago-based visual artist, educator, and occasional curator. She holds an MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BFA from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Her artworks have been exhibited internationally at venues including The Carnegie Museum of Art, International Museum of Surgical Science, Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago), Institute of Contemporary Art (Singapore), Breese Little (London), Abbaye Saint–Magloire (France), LAXART (Los Angeles), among others. Her works are included in the following public collections: Museum of Modern Art (NYC), the Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago), the Joan Flasch Artists' Book Collection, Hobart & William Smith Colleges, the Kinsey Institute, and the Microsoft Collection of Art. Working predominantly in the medium of drawing, she maintains a collaborative practice with her partner Ryan M. Pfeiffer. Their artworks draw upon their combined interests in prehistoric & ancient art, archeo-anthropology, mythology and historical erotica. Currently, Walz serves as Curatorial Board member at Iceberg Projects (2017) and is a professor at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2001).

Detailed information about Accessibility, Directions and Parking can be found on the IMSS website here

Accessibility & Inclusion

The International Museum of Surgical Science is committed to welcoming all visitors, including those with diverse needs and abilities. The International Museum of Surgical Science does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, or ability. As a museum that explores the history and science of medicine and surgery, we strive to make our exhibits and programs accessible to all types of learners.

A stroller and wheelchair-accessible entrance is located on the north side of the building, to the right of the main entrance on 1524 N. Lake Shore Drive. Please knock or call the front desk at 312-642-6502 to be let in. There are two ramps on the first floor and a manually grated elevator that goes to all four floors. Please check-in with the front desk attendant for elevator use instructions.

The Museum has three single-use, gender-neutral restrooms located on the 1st and 3rd floors. ADA-approved service animals are permitted. If you have any questions or concerns about accessibility at IMSS please contact us.

Directions and Parking

The International Museum of Surgical Science is located at 1524 N. Lake Shore Drive – Chicago, IL 60610

The Museum is easily accessible by bus or train:

The CTA bus #151 stops at North Avenue, half a block north of the Museum.

From the Clark/Division stop of the Red Line elevated train walk east on Division until you reach Lake Shore Drive. Turn north and walk a few blocks to the Museum.

From the Sedgwick stop of the Brown Line and Purple Line Express elevated train, walk east on North Avenue until you reach Lake Shore Drive. Turn south and walk a block to the Museum. For train and bus schedules call the CTA at 312-836-7000.

Directions by car Going NORTH on Lake Shore Drive:

Exit at the LaSalle/North Ave. Exit. Take a left off the ramp. Take another left onto Southbound Local Lake Shore Drive. The Museum is on the first block, on the right.

Going SOUTH on Lake Shore Drive:

Exit at the LaSalle/North Ave. Exit. From the ramp go straight through the light onto the Southbound Local Lake Shore Drive. The Museum is on the first block, on the right. From the Kennedy Expressway: Exit at the North Ave Exit. Travel east on North Ave. Turn right on State Street. Turn left on Burton. Burton ends at Lake Shore Drive, turn left. The Museum is on the first block on the left.

From the Dan Ryan:

Take the Dan Ryan North to the Kennedy Expressway. Exit at North Ave. Travel east on North Ave. Turn right on State Street. Turn left on Burton. Burton ends at Lake Shore Drive, turn left. The Museum is on the first block on the left.

Parking: Paid Parking options (Prices Vary)

IMSS has no on-site parking. Ample discounted parking is available in 3 locations within a few minutes walk of the Museum. Retrieve a discounted validation voucher/stamp at the Museum box office to present to the parking attendant upon exiting the lot/ramp. *Please note: the Museum cannot verify lot prices due to fluctuation. Most range between $9-$17.

Please call the lot directly for pricing information. Public Parking Lot – Behind the Chicago History Museum located at Clark and LaSalle Streets, Chicago, IL 60614; entrance on Stockton Drive. 773.549.3145. Public Parking Lot – In the condominium building at 1350 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60610; entrance on E. Banks Street. 312.337.1350. Public Parking Lot – In the condominium building at 1445 N. State Parkway, Chicago, IL 60610; entrance on Burton Street.