ISBN: 1843400952
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Summary: A Disappointment: Pretty and Whimsical but lacking in Substance
There's nothing wrong with a compendium of fantasy fairy art when it is presented as such. The problem occurs when people mistakenly equate the cutesy, whimsical, winged little creatures fabricated in the past few hundred years with the same sphere of Faery that is documented in genuine world mythology and folklore. Unfortunately, only one or two pieces in this book really seem to hint at the true Faery of legend and myth.
Brian Froud's keynote introduction and the opening statement on the back cover lead the reader to anticipate a deeper, more sensitive visual response to the challenge of representing Faery beings than is actually supplied by the book. One anticipates that the artwork will, in the words of Froud, "illuminate the dark inner recesses of nature and our relationship with it." Despite this book's ardent desire and claim to promote Faery as an "individual connection to nature," it really has a great deal more to do with an obsession with the insipid legacy left to us by the Victorians - faeries as spritely creatures of fantasy, drained of their original power, wildness, menace, and expressive potency. Froud makes another telling comment in his foreword which more accurately relates to the book's true content: he writes of the perception of faeries over time as being "reduced to the tritest and gaudiest products of the human mind, washed up on the shorelines of nurseries." Taking into consideration the prancing kewpie dolls of Ann Mari Sjögren; the saccarine, winged toddlers and preteens of Myrea Pettit; Gadd's pudgy elfin babies; and the horde of vapid supermodels-turned-fey vixens within these pages, I believe this collection of imagery is far closer to the "trite and gaudy" end of the spectrum. This would not be such a jarring issue if the book claimed to be a collection of *fantasy* fairy art.
I find it strange that many of the artists within this book list Alan Lee and Brian Froud's seminal book Faeries as a major influence (e.g. Baroh, Amy Brown, Galbreth, Browne, etc.), yet their own work doesn't seem to indicate that they actually *read* it (yes, it is more than a beautiful picture-book!) and/or seriously investigated the illustrations therein. On the contrary, it seems like they may have skimmed the book, taking note only of the petite creatures that suited their pre-conditioned notions of Faery while ignoring the vast majority of information presented. The denizens of Faery are linked not only to the spiritual heart of the landscape, but also to the realm of the dead and the mysterious weavings of fate. Faeries of old were not merely acknowledged by humans, but greatly respected, and, in some cases, feared. Despite the attempts of artists like Amy Brown, Galbreth, and Collen-Tarrolly to depict so-called "dark faeries" in this volume, the figures they paint are simply the same fairy characters as in their other pieces playing dress-up; there's nothing inherently menacing, disturbing, or powerful about them other than the fact that *these* fairies apparently shop at Hot Topic instead of at the typical Renaissance Faire or hippie clothing store at which they normally purchase their garments.
The website of one artist included in this work hailed The Art of Faery as a compendium of "the best faery artists in the world." Unfortunately, if this book features "the best" the contemporary Faery art realm has to offer, then that realm is in a very disappointing state indeed. While this book does contain the work of a handful of skilled individuals who have a decent handle on human proportions, shading, perspective, color, etc. (as well as containing the work of a number of those at the other end of the spectrum who definitely *do not* have a good understanding of the human form or a sensitivity to their chosen medium) nearly every example of the faery art in this book suffers from an extremely limited visual vocabulary. Virtually every single image in The Art of Faery, regardless of the talent and skill of the artist in question, is hidebound by convention and stereotype. With scarcely any exceptions, all of the supposed faeries these artists depict embody a cookie-cutter mentality: they are either cutsey children with wings and clothing of petals and foliage, or they are winged Victoria's Secret models with similar botanical decorations.
As previously mentioned, the skill level of the artists included in this book varies widely. Some of the more technically proficient, stylistically refined artists include Marja Lee Kruÿt, Stephanie Pui-Mun Law, John Arthur, Maxine Gadd, and James Browne. Although Linda Ravenscroft possesses obvious talent as well, particularly in decoration and costume design, I was really put-off by her tireless recycling of the same exact facial features in every image. A lot of individual character is built up in her lavishly detailed backdrops and interesting ornamentations, but so much is subsequently lost when one reaches the faces of her figures. Unfortunately, Ravenscroft was not the only artist included who tended to constantly recycle portions of their previous works: a number of artists do not simply create images of fairies, they *manufacture* them using their own established stock of poses, clothing design, faces, motifs, etc. A few of the artists displayed their lack of skill at drawing hands by conspicuously covering them in their images with clothing or hair. The classic hand-avoidance pose wherein one or both hands are deliberately hidden behind the subject's body (typically behind the back or head) is even shamelessly utilized on a few occasions. Two artists in particular desperately need to lessen their dependancy on watercolor-and-salt textured backgrounds.
The greatest artistic travesty though appears on page sixty-two. The piece displayed on that page is Jessica Galbreth's "Celestial Faery," a watercolor dated to the year 2002. What is so distressing about this image? Do a Google image search for Jennifer Lopez's perfume Glow, and compare the popular 2002 ad campaign photograph of nude J.Lo holding a bright point of light to "Celestial Faery." The striking resemblance is no mere coincidence: it is an example of plagiarism. If Galbreth had genuinely made up this composition on her own, the contours would not correspond so well to J.Lo's actual body (note the precise finger placement, the curve that runs from below Jennifer's breast down her torso as well as the curve just above the elbow on the lower arm). From viewing other examples of her work in The Art of Faery where she misplaces collar bones, flattens noses, deliberately conceals people's hands behind their bodies to avoid drawing them, and paints mono-blob breasts that do not respond when arms are lifted; there is no way she could have pulled off this sort of perspective on her own without reference. This sort of behavior is somewhat expected of budding middle school and high school aged artists, but it is deplorable for a college graduate with a degree (supposedly) in Fine Arts and "a focus on painting the human figure." Even worse, I recently discovered that Galbreth includes another version of this painting (a copy of a copy, you might say) for demonstration purposes in the book Watercolor Fairies by the same publisher, this time the fairy is wearing clothes. If an artist really requires reference, there are plenty of more honorable options available to him or her: hiring live models to pose, utilizing his/her *own* photography, taking life drawing classes in order to familiarize oneself with the human form in the first place, referencing copyright-free photography, and of course grabbing a mirror and becoming one's own model. There is no excuse for blatant plagiarism, and these artists should be held accountable regardless of how popular their artwork happens to be.
Undoubtedly, this book will be (and already has) become a cherished addition to the libraries of many fantasy fairy enthusiasts. It is pleasant, pretty, and whimsical volume sure to provide inspiration for many mental flights of fancy. However, for those interested in genuine, mythic Faery art this collection will largely prove to be disappointing. To find artwork that earnestly seeks to "illuminate the dark inner recesses of nature and our relationship with it," one needs to look elsewhere. There is so much more to the fey than the pleasant, pretty, and whimsical modern veneer many assume is the totality of Faery. Don't be fooled into confusing fantastical fairies with the real thing; enjoy these fantasy fairies for what they are - creatures of fantasy.
copyright Desiree Isphording 2006
Summary: The Perfect Gift For Any Lover of the Fae
I was so excited when I received The Art Of Faery. I did a little happy dance in my front room. It is funny how faeries bring out the child in you. I have been a believer of the Fae since I was a little girl. I couldn't imagine my life without them.
This is a wonderful book on faery artists and their works. The many wonderful artists include Brian Froud, Amy Brown, David Delamare, Jasmine Becket-Griffith, Maxine Gadd, Myrea Pettit, Linda Ravenscroft, Stephanie Pui-Mun Law, and many others. There are a few artists I did not see such as Nene Tina Thomas, Josephine Wall, Selina Fenech, and Mary Baxter St Clair. But perhaps they will come out with a second book. That would be great.
In the back of the book there is a list of the artists and their websites. It even gives you a picture of what the artists look like. So not only can you read the BIOS of your favorite artist but also get to see what they look like.
If you love the Fae and love fantasy, you are sure to love this book. So what are you waiting for? Get it now before it goes out of stock! *wink*
Summary: Beautiful pictures!
Beautiful faery pictures, I especially like the section with the drawings of David Delamare and Maxine Gadd: great artists!
Summary:
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