Fantasy Art – Unraveling the Mysterious WorldPosted by SuperPhil on March 25th, 2010


Fantasy Art – Unraveling the Mysterious World
By Annette Labedzki

‘Fantasy Art’ is a genre of art, conveying the mystery of unseen forces and the mysteries of life. This form of art has its roots spreading to centuries old history, and has its presence in mythologies, folklore, and religions from all over the world. The use of magical and supernatural themes, ideas, creatures, and settings forms the basic element of ‘Fantasy Art.’

‘Fantasy Art’ emerged from Greek mythology, African magic, Chinese folklore, and several other holy traditions. Having some folding over with science fiction, horror, and other speculative fiction art, it nevertheless, has some unique elements, absent in the other forms of art. Some distinguishing features of ‘Fantasy Art’ include the illustrations of ancient myths and legends as well as the thematic representations of divine interventions and supernatural forces, such as angels, gods, demons, dragons, and spirits. In addition to generously employing their imaginative faculties, the ‘Fantasy’ artists drew inspiration from their immediate surroundings with most commonly occurring themes like wild visionary fancy and illusionary dreams.

One of the most famous ‘Fantasy’ painters of the 15th Century, a Dutch artist, Hieronomous Bosch is still commemorated for his masterpiece, “The Garden of Earthly Delights.” It is a triptych of the Garden of Eden brimming over with nude people, giant fruits, and animals. The three part magnificent work in oil portrays a chronological saga. The first part depicts God introducing Eve to Adam, the central part depicts Eden, where people are shown moving in and out of the glass domes, and bird winged houses. The third part is interpreted as an indicative of the fallouts of overindulgence. There is a vivid characterization of innocence and haunting poetic beauty in this matchless piece of art. Some of the other greats of this genre were Boris Vallejo, George Grie, Michael Parkes, and Heinz Zander.

‘Fantasy Art’ is quite dependent on ‘fanart’ that involves the delineation of specific characteristics or the recreation of scenes from the works of fantasy literature. The art began getting wider acceptance as a legitimate style of art making only in the 20th Century. During this time, several artists came under the spotlight simultaneously. The popularization and the ramifications of ‘Fantasy Art’ can be attributed to various factors, including:

- Modernization and Invention of Photography – With its modernization, photography began to rule the world of ‘Realism’ and the ‘Realists’ started losing their direction and purpose, paving way for ‘Fantasy Art’ to gain widespread popularity.

- Inspirations from Modern Physics and Psychology – In late 1800s, artists drew inspiration from these two subjects, reproducing them in the form of ‘Expressionism,’ ‘Abstraction,’ ‘Cubism,’ ‘Surrealism,’ and ‘Fantasy’ as a way to the newer vistas to the world of art.

Despite the use of technical skills, ‘Fantasy Art’ was not considered a part of the canon or fine art. This discrimination is evident from the fact that the Fantasy Artworks were not hung in galleries, and could never find a place in the curriculum of art studies. Still it has managed to maintain its appeal with the popular masses. With its embodiment of dark fantasy, it remains a challenge for both, artists and connoisseurs, to unravel their deepest fears and the darkest desires.

Annette Labedzki received her BFA at the Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. She has more than 25 years experience. She is the founder and developer of an online art gallery featuring original art from all over the world. It is a great site for art collectors to buy original art. Is is also a venue for artists to display and sell their art . Artists can join for free and their image upload is unlimited. Please visit the website at http://www.labedzki-art.com

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