Imaginary Beings

It’s amazing the things you find when you are down an online rabbit hole.

I first came across the wonderful Johanna Goodman‘ last year while looking at vintage blankets and quilts.

Her work enchants and delights me.

Especially The Catalogue of Imaginary Beings

The Catalogue of Imaginary Beings is an ongoing series of work begun in 2015 that sprung from over twenty years of portraiture and collage work.

The series seeks to explore a range of themes in popular culture, including the role of the individual in fashion, in history, in the artistic imagination and more broadly, the collective consciousness. The body of work draws its inspiration from a wide spectrum of sources, such as Magical Realism, Surrealism, and Symbolism. More specifically, it references cultural artifacts like talismans, idols, totems and all of the material detritus that surrounds us at all times. These characters are composites embodying notions of “the warrior”, vulnerability, industry, the universal, and the personal. They reference these identities as they’ve been depicted historically through art, literature, and commerce.

Taller than trees and towering over buildings, she pieces together female forms appear to stretch far above the landscapes before them. The collaged works combine elements of art, design, and architecture, exploring the individual’s role in history and popular culture.

I for one would be delighted to have disco balls for a body…

Queen Marie

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