Home

Dangerous Spirituality

image by Veronica V. Jones

Alice Duke

The fairy tales we tell our children to calm their fears at night and ease them into gentle slumber still retain a hint of their original purpose: to warn us of the dangers of the unseen monsters around us. The original tellings of these tales reveal a far more visceral and dangerous world — a world Alice Duke illustrates in her works.

Subtly sinister, yet oddly comforting — like the warm light of a summer sun slowly fading into twilight — guarded idealists and jaded rouges encounter mischievous imps and unspeakable horrors in her colorful portfolio.

Taking inspiration from centuries of world mythology and adapting the symbols of spiritual art, Ms. Duke creates complex, organic tableaus rich in technical detail and deeper meaning. Through her art, we explore the burdens and obligations of a magical universe that modern beliefs so casually and fearfully deny.

When you are ready to relearn the exciting novelty and hidden dangers of life, Alice will help you remember.

Written by in September of 2011. Last edited September 2014.

Related Features

Collaborative Fairy Scroll Benefit Auction

A wizened Gnome and thoughtful sprite. Fairy kisses. Playful sprites and a slightly sinister faun. A charging beast and a brownie under a toadstool.

Annie Rodrigue

A mannered elf in a green dress holds and admires a bright red cardinal. A fairy with brown hair, translucent wings and brown bark clothing. A doll-like girl with flowing brown hair, large evil eyes and small black wings.

Meg Lyman

A small winged cuttlefish floats in front of a large octopus. A green tree frog with bright red and yellow spots sporting a party hat. A cow-colored cuttlefish with horns and an udder, a.k.a. Cowthulu.

Lois Van Baarle

A woman is lit by the warm red glow of a floating jellyfish. A serene woman with green hair and a bikini top looks lovingly at a small group of floating green fish. A young woman with a bright green scarf holds a magenta octopus in her hands. A young woman with blond hair is carried by two robotic flying toasters.

Vitaly S. Alexius

A blond woman with large translucent wings gazes across an alien landscape. A futuristic warrior stands at the ready in an oddly lit cityscape. A dark angel with wings outstretched gazes upward.

Comments

Be the first to comment!