The Art of the Unknown
A Visual Treasury of the Esoteric, Uncanny and Unexplained
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Quarto Publishing PLC
Publishing:3rd Sep '26
£22.00
This title is due to be published on 3rd September, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
Discover how artists across the centuries have explored the unexplainable, documented the impossible and illuminated the dark unknown.
What lurks at the edges of human perception? Across time and cultures, artists have found themselves drawn to document encounters with forces and phenomena that defy comprehension, from ghostly manifestations and cosmic energies to twilight realms and parallel dimensions.
While science seeks answers, artists illuminate the unknown through intuition, imagination and vision, creating visual records of the esoteric, the uncanny and the unexplainable.
The Art of the Unknown brings together nearly 200 artworks that delve into the limits of perception and belief, for example:
- William Blake’s celestial visions
- Léon Spilliaert's mysterious paintings
- Penny Slinger's spectral photographs
- Daniel Martin Diaz’s symbolic diagrams
Uniting historical artists with contemporary creators who continue to push at the boundaries of reality, this book asks: what worlds exist alongside our own – and how do artists give form to what can’t be seen?
The Art of the Unknown is an enthralling journey for anyone fascinated by mystery and the esoteric, inviting you to look again at the forces that persist just beyond the threshold of ordinary reality, and to discover how artists have long attempted to make the invisible visible.
'A welcome inoculation in a time foolishly obsessed with AI.' – Megan Bosenbloom, author of Dark Archives
'Every page of this strange and stunning book cracks the doors of perception and reminds us that when faced with life’s eternal questions, art is more powerful than answers.' – Kristen J. Sollée, author of Witches, Sluts, Feminists
"The Art of the Unknown is a candle in the dark, illuminating the weird and wondrous mysteries of existence that artists throughout time have sought to explore and embody in their work. S. Elizabeth’s wise and otherworldly words are a haunting presence unto themselves, guiding us through chthonic, celestial, and physical realms as we encounter the uncanny. Every page of this strange and stunning book cracks the doors of perception and reminds us that when faced with life’s eternal questions, art is more powerful than answers."
-- Kristen J. Sollée, author of Witches, Sluts, Feminists"In this well-written and insightful title, the categorization is thoughtful, and the analyses of the artworks are careful. It’s very easy to read, and the structured approach makes it an excellent reference and resource."
* Library Journal *"The Art of the Unknown understands that the deepest work of art does not explain the world so much as make it strange again. S. Elizabeth has assembled a cabinet of thresholds: works that invite us beyond the limits of the familiar, where certainty gives way and another kind of knowing becomes possible. What emerges is not simply a survey of the esoteric and uncanny, but an argument for mystery itself—for remaining receptive to what cannot be named, mastered, or understood. A beautiful book for anyone willing to be changed by what they cannot explain."
-- Janaka Stucky, poet, performer, and founding editor of Black OISBN: 9781805701187
Dimensions: 224mm x 171mm x 27mm
Weight: 860g
240 pages