The Catacombs | Research Notes
"The magical, supernatural force that is with us every second is time. We can’t even comprehend it. It’s such an illusion, it’s such a strange thing... Time is the greatest mystery of them all."
- Anthony Hopkins
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This piece complements "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", as well as the accompanying research and inspiration. As part of the duo, this is the world the Ichabod Crane encounters, once propelled into the year, 2770.
The place is what could be interpreted as the ruin or resting place of a church, or similar religious location. Yet again inspired by H. G. Wells' "The Time Traveller", as opposed to trying to emulate a sophisticated, sleek, metallic cyberpunk world one might find in Bladerunner or its sequel, I wanted to emulate a space lost in time, somewhere out of the linear lineage of what we as humankind measure as time. The quote by Anthony Hopkins above greatly encapsulates the motto of the world I wanted to create. Something familiar, yet something off kilter, an illusion to what we would perceive as reality.
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Mythological context:
With the world containing elements to Sumeria, 6000BC, one of the first places I looked to was mythology to that time that still remains. Storytelling is a recurring theme throughout my work, so observing tales and folklore are instrumental for fuelling my pieces.
One tale I came across was the tale of Gilgamesh, a warrior hero who we could liken to the original heroes more familiar to a contemporary audience, such as the Grecian Hercules, Perseus and Achilles.
The story, to encapsulate, tells the story of a warrior who reclaims his kingdom, which would be a fitting monument to have in this outdoor shrine, potentially someone who the people could admire and look up to, even as a deity. This is further emphasised by the architecture and with the broken pillars, suggesting this structure has been in place for many years.
"The Catacombs". A2 (42 x 59.4 cm). Acrylic and gold leaf on wooden panel. 2019.
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Artistic process:
The altar in the centre, features a symbol painted in gold leaf known as the "Element of Thura", supposedly also taken from the Ancient Sumerian time, acting as a protection symbol against evil, adding to the idea of this being a sanctuary that the character has stumbled into. Similarly with the broken ruins, the gold leaf was worked into to give a fading, old effect, as opposed to a brilliant shiny effect.
In terms of artistic inspiration, I drew upon the show "Sleepy Hollow", which skilfully draws upon American history, while implementing it into the modern day.
Final piece and detail shots below.
Click images to see full size.
The Catacombs. Final piece.
Details
Details
The Catacombs. Final piece.