Corey Helford Gallery, Los Angeles
Join them for the Virtual Opening on Instagram Live @coreyhelfordgallery - Saturday April 18th, 5-6PM PST.
Fantastical beasts have captured our imagination throughout history. Creatures like dragons, griffins and unicorns were the cultural ancestors of natural histories, zoos, and Darwin; of My Little Pony and Animal Planet. Some have their origin in traditional mythology and were believed to be real creatures, while others were based on real encounters. One function of mythical animals was allegory. Unicorns (innocence and purity) were described as extraordinarily swift and uncatchable by traditional methods. Today, we find them in every art form including films, television, literature, comics, superheroes, Anime, and more. [Text from CHG]
About the painting - Drawing from the imagination of Phillip Pullman I wanted to create a version of Lyra and Pan at the brink of their journey. To me they are both Fantastical beasts and their journey into the ‘wilde abyss’ is one we can all relate to. Throughout our lives we are often faced with challenges, new journeys and unsteady ground beneath our feet. We choose our companions for these journeys whether they be family, friends or our own inner strengths. I like to imagine these inner strengths and individual characteristics as illustrated by Pullman in his Dark Materials series - our greatest companions can be ourselves.
'Into This Wilde Abyss'
oil on aluminium
60 x 60 cm plus frame
