The Other Side: A Journey into Women, Art and the Spirit World

(Paperback)

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'Endlessly intriguing . . . I was enchanted' - DAILY TELEGRAPH

'Illuminating in every sense of the word' - John Higgs

In an illuminating blend of memoir and art history, The Other Side explores the lives and work of a group of extraordinary women artists. From the twelfth-century mystic Hildegard of Bingen and the nineteenth-century spiritualist Georgiana Houghton to the pioneering Hilma af Klint, these women all - in their own unique ways - shared the same goal: to communicate with, and learn from, other dimensions.

Weaving in and out of their myriad lives, Jennifer Higgie considers the solace of ritual, the gender exclusions of art history, the contemporary relevance of myth, the boom in alternative ways of understanding the world and the impact of spiritualism on feminism and contemporary art.

Reviews

In effervescent and atmospheric prose, Jennifer Higgie explores some of history's most innovative artists and their spiritual investigations into this realm and the next. I was entranced from start to finish, as she takes us on both a personal and artistic journey across time and across the globe. The Other Side is an exhilarating read -- KATY HESSEL, author of THE STORY OF ART WITHOUT MEN
Invigorating . . . The Other Side [is] endlessly intriguing . . . I was enchanted * DAILY TELEGRAPH *
The Other Side lit up my brain. A radical, fascinating exploration of art and the otherworldly, Higgie is an expert and erudite guide in this brilliant reclamation of female artists -- SINAD GLEESON, author of CONSTELLATIONS
The Other Side is a colourful, varied look at the many artists and thinkers who have touched worlds beyond our own - and a necessary reconsideration of why they have all too often been "brushed aside" * PROSPECT *
Wonderful . . . Higgie guides us through overlooked stories from the history of art and reveals the insights into the nature of imagination which reside there. Illuminating in every sense of the word -- JOHN HIGGS, author of WILLIAM BLAKE VS THE WORLD
A rewarding and invigorating read * SYDNEY MORNING HERALD *
An entrancing look at formerly neglected artists who navigated thresholds between this world and the next, and a crucial exploration of realms formerly dismissed. Elegantly expanded my thinking on the eternal mystery of where art comes from -- JENNIFER LUCY ALLAN, author of THE FOGHORN'S LAMENT
A majestic account of the ways in which women's art has developed in response to spiritual experience. Higgie traces a compelling route through an alternative history that attends to the astonishing work of female artists whose practice was deeply connected to spiritualism and the occult, and which was often far ahead of its time, anticipating practices and modes of modernist abstraction . . . endlessly surprising and ambitious -- Stephanie Bishop * THE MONTHLY *
Ranging from 12th-century mystic Hildegard von Bingen to 20th-century painters such as Ithell Colquhoun and Hilma af Klint, Higgie teases out links between spiritualism, feminism and art history in this evocative study * APOLLO MAGAZINE *
Jennifer Higgie is the most splendid of guides on this enthralling journey of a book. With tremendous intelligence, sensitivity and a receptivity nearly equal to that of her subjects, she leads us through a gallery of remarkable women artists whose dialogue with other realms became the font of their creativity as well as a sanctuary. Excellent, inspiring and transformative -- CHLOE ARIDJIS, author of SEA MONSTERS

Author Bio

JENNIFER HIGGIE is a writer who studied painting at art school in Australia before moving to London. Previously the editor of frieze magazine, she was also the presenter of Bow Down, a podcast about women in art history. She is a screenwriter, the editor of a collection of writings on art and humour, The Artist's Joke, a novel, Bedlam, a children's book, There's Not One, and The Mirror and the Palette: Rebellion, Revolution and Resilience - 500 Years of Women's Self-Portraits.