Edward Gorey Documentary Kickstarter

Would you like to help the long anticipated Edward Gorey Documentary by Christopher Seufert come to completion? There is a Kickstarter campaign to raise the final funding needed to complete the film going on right now! The campaign ends May 24th, so there is no time to lose...go HERE for information about how you can be a part of this exciting project for as little as $1.00. Pledge amounts over $40.00 will receive a DVD copy of the finished documentary and the premiums for donating go up from there.

As with all Kickstarter campaigns, you will pay nothing if the total amount sought by the filmmaker is not achieved by the end of the campaign.

2014 Edward Gorey House Exhibition

Each year, the Edward Gorey House mounts an annual exhibition which is on display from April through December. F is for Fantods is the 2014 exhibition, and this year's exhibit concentrates on the 28 publications which Edward Gorey self published under his Fantod Press imprint.

Showcasing each of the 28 Fantod Press books, the exhibition features printed materials, background information, and original artwork from the books. Also on display are several rare examples of alternate (and ultimately abandoned) drawings for a couple of the titles. There is an excellent Exhibit Guide created by Edward Bradford for the exhibition which illuminates many hidden mysteries surrounding the Fantod Press. This 14 page informative exhibition guide is destined to become a collectible item and is available for purchase by calling the museum.

Mr. Gorey began his private "press" in 1962 with the publication of The Beastly Baby, a story he was unable to interest commercial publishers in producing. Of special interest in this exhibition is the original artwork created for The Beastly Baby. This outrageous tale has been conspicuously absent from the Elegant Enigmas shows. It is fantastic to be able to view the art from this title in person, especially since this is the book that inspired Mr. Gorey to begin his 35 year odyssey of self publication.

Edward Gorey committed himself completely to the 28 Fantod publications, and did all the work himself to bring each of these books to print. Using his talent and commercial art training, Mr. Gorey first wrote the text and created the original artwork for each title. He then, without the aid of today's computers or scanners, created mock-ups and gave detailed printing instructions for his local printer, with whom he had to work closely. In addition to self-financing each Fantod publication, Mr. Gorey also took on the task of distribution through a network of independent booksellers, most prominently The Gotham Book Mart in New York City. 

F is for Fantods is an exhibition that should not be missed by Gorey fans. If you have not visited the Edward Gorey House in the past, the 2014 exhibition is one to try and catch. The depth of material on display is truly amazing. Begin planning your visit by going to the museum's website.

Shown below is one of the hidden treasures on display - one of the discarded drawings from The Chinese Obelisks.

Gorey in Chicago

I had the opportunity to take in the G is for Gorey - C is for Chicago exhibition at Loyola University last week when I attended the presentation by Karen Wilken. (I am happily anticipating entering the exhibit below) This double whammy Edward Gorey exhibit is presented at LUMA, the University of Loyola's art museum located in downtown Chicago.

Having previously viewed Elegant Enigmas in its Boston incarnation, it was delightful to revisit the show in a different setting. I believe this is now the sixth time this exhibition has been presented and the core exhibit, with some omissions and additions from the previous outings, remains as solid as ever. Individual pieces from the Estate and items borrowed from collectors will occasionally change for each showing.

New gems on display include early artwork on loan for this showing and the addition of archival materials pertaining to Edward Gorey's formative years in Chicago. Thomas Michalak has donated his Gorey collection to the University and many pieces from the collection are included in the show, giving added depth to the presentation.

The show continues through June 15th and is not to be missed!

Karen Wilken at Loyola

On Wednesday April 9th, author and Edward Gorey expert Karen Wilken gave a presentation at Loyola University in conjunction with the current exhibition on display at the University Museum. Her well attended talk focused on artistic influences found in Edward Gorey's images and story lines. Ms. Wilken's list of influences included books, fine art images, silent films, foreign films, and stories from Mr. Gorey's family. Her presentation was accompanied by projected images illustrating familiar and obscure images.

 Following the main presentation, a question and answer session with the audience was held with Andreas Brown (Edward Gorey Charitable Trust, Gotham Book Mart), Ms. Wilken, and Tom Michalak (collector). A variety of subjects were addressed by the panel in response to questions. The evening concluded with a book signing by Ms. Wilken.

Loyola Exhibit Video

Go HERE to view an interesting newscast video about the Loyola exhibition.