I recently acquired this piece of original artwork by Edward Gorey. The image shows a man connected by cables to television sets, floating in a black void dotted with stars. Upon closer inspection, the stars turn out to be "sputnik" type satellites. Each television is tethered to the floating man like the legs of an octopus, and each appears to spotlight a different physical or physiological concern. The one exception is the television with the caption written on it.
It is unclear what Edward Gorey created this artwork for, but it is generally assumed that it is a periodical piece and that it was probably made for TV Guide.
Gosh! Thanks for posting! So modern yet not without his usual intimations of lurking mystery. I know Gorey really didn't like to be thought of as gothic, but I think that pervading mystery is ubiquitous in his work to an extent where he's redefined it and claimed it as his own. What do you think about Gorey as "American Gothic?"
ReplyDeleteThe more I study the work of Edward Gorey, the more I try and not label him. American Gothic is a good overall distinction, but he is so much more than that.
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