An Iconic Transmogrification

The title for this week’s post is a bit of a mouthful, but is the sort of wordplay that works for many of my drawings.  The word ‘transmogrify’, used as early as 1656 is a transitive verb meaning to transfigure or transform with grotesque or humorous effect. Used here, it has become a sort of visual process noun that describes how a mundane image morphs into a fantastic one. It is also an apt term for ‘shape-shifting’, a familiar trope in myth and legend. Both forms seem appropriate for how we perceive the subtle shifts in reality as we are bombarded with information and imagery that overlay each other both in our waking life and in dreams. During my travels, as I entered the images and observations in my journals, ephemeral questions floated across my mind resulting in sketches that captured both what I saw and what no one else did at that time and place. Such was the genesis of ‘Guardgoyle‘, an iconic transmogrification and the latest drawing in my London Underground series. The initial cap accompanying the text is from ‘Garrulous Gothic‘ a new illustrated alphabet highlighted in a previous post. The alphabet and other images in this series may be seen and purchased as gicleé prints at http://www.magiceyegallery.com.