Jamie, I love this so much!! I was not familiar with his art, but its gothic whimsy reminds me of you and made me very happy! This post was so well researched and written. It makes me want to visit the museum.
This quote got me: “While he might be sending us on wild goose chases, the act of seeking out mysterious messages frequently triggers encounters with our own strange revelations and cosmic shoulder taps.” This feels like a perfect description of initiation, and synchronicity, or even curiosity and channeling. This feels like the whole premise of the Hellier documentary. Anyway, very very cool - I’m glad this art took you down a rabbit hole and you decided to bring us along!
You mentioning Surrealism as aiming to revolutionize human experience really sparked something in me. I have always been drawn to the "unexpected and the uncanny," just as the Tate Gallery defines it. I remember watching "Twin Peaks" for the first time, feeling completely mesmerized and utterly confused all at once. It wasn't the neat narrative that captivated me, but the unsettling atmosphere and the unresolved mysteries. I felt deeply that such a form of art was speaking to something in me that rational, predictable forms of entertainment could never touch. Just like Gorey's art, it lingered in my mind, prompting me to seek out more of that delicious, unsettling feeling. I think you’ve nailed why so many of us are drawn to such works—it's that hint of something beyond our understanding, the whisper of a deeper, perhaps darker, truth.
Gorey was a master of weird and wise, and I get Glimmer when I read about him and view his work. He's like a mysterious and sardonic portal. This post came at just the right moment...you have no idea!
I'm so glad this post came across your radar at just the right moment. As an ardent disciple of both serendipity and synchronicity, that's absolutely perfect!
I agree that he is both weird and wise. What I've learned so far intrigued me enough that I ordered a used copy of the book, Ascending Peculiarity: Edward Gorey on Edward Gorey. I'm looking forward to reading him in his own words.
I love what little I've seen of Gorey's work and am especially taken by the Figbash drawings you shared. How fun are they?! Thank you for such a treasure trove of information!! (Gorey was American?!)
Predictability? No, thank you. Questions? Absolutely, bring them on!! I have a passion for questions. They lead us to the most interesting and unpredictable learning! Answers tend to open more questions for me, and I would not change that for the world. 😊
Ooh! I love that answers open more questions for you. I want you to say more.
Is that because you question the answers ... because you don't take them at face value?
I just had a visual snapshot of your brain as a gorgeously open and bright place full of rainbow synapses and plenty of open windows and doors for ideas and creatures to enter at will.
What a fantastic visual snapshot! I think there's a lot of truth in that image.
It's not that I don't believe an answer I've been given. It's more that one of those brain synapses snap and a "what if" (or other) question will pop into my head. For example, if I hear, "we can't do something because of yada, yada, yada," I'll accept that as the speaker's truth but then start exploring options. Possibilities start to flow and those pose questions for me. "What if...??"
It's also a Stanislavski acting principle since it opens imagination and creativity. It's referred to as the "magic if" and actors use it to put themselves in the life of their character. The world needs more magic if's. 😊
What an amazing ending quote! I loved this, and it's interesting how much his work lives in my head as well, considering I have only rarely encountered it. I love your take on why this is, and it reminded me of a conversation I had only yesterday about how much I have come to terms with uncertainty and unknowing in recent years. So much of the world is less certain and less concrete than I used to believe, and while that is scary, it is also freeing to come to terms with it. Kind of like emerging from that cave Plato described. :)
Asking questions without answers isn't typically encouraged, but I totally agree with you that this is where the magic is. If we had all the answers, there would be nothing left to wonder, nothing to be inspired about, nothing to learn. An old acquaintance of mine used to tell me to get comfortable with the ambiguity. But maybe, to your point, it's better to recognize the ambiguity, but stay just a little bit uncomfortable to keep the magic alive.
Thanks so much, Claire - for reading, and for sharing your insights. "Coming to terms with uncertainty and unknowing" feels like a pretty major milestone. It's funny how we end up "unlearning" so much as we get older - realizing that all the answers we thought we had can unravel in a moment. And that's not necessarily a bad thing!
Your comment reminds me that Gorey also had an affinity for Japanese culture, including the concept of wabi sabi, which. the OED defines as, "Relating to or designating a Japanese aesthetic or world view characterized by finding beauty in imperfection, impermanence, or simplicity ..." I feel like there's some overlap in there between the concepts of uncertainty/the unknown/chaos and an aesthetic that holds deep appreciation for the ephemeral and the broken.
Good question!
Jamie, I love this so much!! I was not familiar with his art, but its gothic whimsy reminds me of you and made me very happy! This post was so well researched and written. It makes me want to visit the museum.
This quote got me: “While he might be sending us on wild goose chases, the act of seeking out mysterious messages frequently triggers encounters with our own strange revelations and cosmic shoulder taps.” This feels like a perfect description of initiation, and synchronicity, or even curiosity and channeling. This feels like the whole premise of the Hellier documentary. Anyway, very very cool - I’m glad this art took you down a rabbit hole and you decided to bring us along!
You mentioning Surrealism as aiming to revolutionize human experience really sparked something in me. I have always been drawn to the "unexpected and the uncanny," just as the Tate Gallery defines it. I remember watching "Twin Peaks" for the first time, feeling completely mesmerized and utterly confused all at once. It wasn't the neat narrative that captivated me, but the unsettling atmosphere and the unresolved mysteries. I felt deeply that such a form of art was speaking to something in me that rational, predictable forms of entertainment could never touch. Just like Gorey's art, it lingered in my mind, prompting me to seek out more of that delicious, unsettling feeling. I think you’ve nailed why so many of us are drawn to such works—it's that hint of something beyond our understanding, the whisper of a deeper, perhaps darker, truth.
Gorey was a master of weird and wise, and I get Glimmer when I read about him and view his work. He's like a mysterious and sardonic portal. This post came at just the right moment...you have no idea!
Jamie to the rescue!
I'm so glad this post came across your radar at just the right moment. As an ardent disciple of both serendipity and synchronicity, that's absolutely perfect!
I agree that he is both weird and wise. What I've learned so far intrigued me enough that I ordered a used copy of the book, Ascending Peculiarity: Edward Gorey on Edward Gorey. I'm looking forward to reading him in his own words.
I love what little I've seen of Gorey's work and am especially taken by the Figbash drawings you shared. How fun are they?! Thank you for such a treasure trove of information!! (Gorey was American?!)
Predictability? No, thank you. Questions? Absolutely, bring them on!! I have a passion for questions. They lead us to the most interesting and unpredictable learning! Answers tend to open more questions for me, and I would not change that for the world. 😊
Ooh! I love that answers open more questions for you. I want you to say more.
Is that because you question the answers ... because you don't take them at face value?
I just had a visual snapshot of your brain as a gorgeously open and bright place full of rainbow synapses and plenty of open windows and doors for ideas and creatures to enter at will.
What a fantastic visual snapshot! I think there's a lot of truth in that image.
It's not that I don't believe an answer I've been given. It's more that one of those brain synapses snap and a "what if" (or other) question will pop into my head. For example, if I hear, "we can't do something because of yada, yada, yada," I'll accept that as the speaker's truth but then start exploring options. Possibilities start to flow and those pose questions for me. "What if...??"
I love a good "what if" question. That's where most of the best stories start! Thanks for sharing. 💜
It's also a Stanislavski acting principle since it opens imagination and creativity. It's referred to as the "magic if" and actors use it to put themselves in the life of their character. The world needs more magic if's. 😊
I love Edward Gorey's illustrations!
Aren't they wonderful?
I borrowed Amphigorey and Amphigorey Too from my local library.
Now if I could just find the time to sit and pore over them!
What an amazing ending quote! I loved this, and it's interesting how much his work lives in my head as well, considering I have only rarely encountered it. I love your take on why this is, and it reminded me of a conversation I had only yesterday about how much I have come to terms with uncertainty and unknowing in recent years. So much of the world is less certain and less concrete than I used to believe, and while that is scary, it is also freeing to come to terms with it. Kind of like emerging from that cave Plato described. :)
Asking questions without answers isn't typically encouraged, but I totally agree with you that this is where the magic is. If we had all the answers, there would be nothing left to wonder, nothing to be inspired about, nothing to learn. An old acquaintance of mine used to tell me to get comfortable with the ambiguity. But maybe, to your point, it's better to recognize the ambiguity, but stay just a little bit uncomfortable to keep the magic alive.
Thanks so much, Claire - for reading, and for sharing your insights. "Coming to terms with uncertainty and unknowing" feels like a pretty major milestone. It's funny how we end up "unlearning" so much as we get older - realizing that all the answers we thought we had can unravel in a moment. And that's not necessarily a bad thing!
Your comment reminds me that Gorey also had an affinity for Japanese culture, including the concept of wabi sabi, which. the OED defines as, "Relating to or designating a Japanese aesthetic or world view characterized by finding beauty in imperfection, impermanence, or simplicity ..." I feel like there's some overlap in there between the concepts of uncertainty/the unknown/chaos and an aesthetic that holds deep appreciation for the ephemeral and the broken.
Thank you for giving me more to think about!