Contents Contemporary artworks and artists related to fantasy The Village Biennale, Cockatoo Island
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Sam Leach
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Ben Smith
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Kate Shaw
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Inspirational artists Norman Lindsay
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Boris Vajello and Julie Bell
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Glossary of Fantasy What is fantasy?
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Fairy Tales
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Animal Fantasy
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Arabian Knights Fantasy
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Sword and Sorcery Fantasy
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Heroic Fantasy
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Gothic Fantasy
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Mermaids
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Ancient Greek Mythology Olympian Gods and Goddesses
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Amazons
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Nymphs
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Sirens
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Satyrs and Centaurs
Page 44
Gorgons
Page 45
Fantasy Forests
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Fantasy Oceans
Page 48
References for Glossary of Fantasy
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My fantasy artwork series
Page 50
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The Village artwork at Cockatoo Island The Village was created in 2014 for the 19th Biennale of Sydney, by Danish artists Randi Jorgensen and Katrine Malinvonski. When you first see The Village it seems charming with a church tower, houses, civic gate and a containment wall. It looks like something out of a fairy tale fantasy. That is not the only story that The Village represents. This artwork also has a cynical message. If you look carefully all the buildings seem to have faces, so in a way these buildings are anthropomorphic and don’t seem to have a happy expression. The Village is a representation of a utopian structure that is contained by a fortress. The parable of this artwork is people who seek asylum during a massive refugee movement only to find the fortress secured and the gateway locked. So I find this artwork intriguing because it seems like something out of a fairy tale fantasy but it has a pessimistic message. The Village reminds me of village scenes in the Once Upon A Time TV series 2011 –, which is based on traditional fairytale characters.
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References Details about the artwork come from the summary label at the exhibition
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Sam Leach Sam Leach, born in Adelaide in 1973, is an emerging Australian contemporary artist. He completed a Bachelor of Fine Art degree and a Master of Fine Art degree at RMIT University in Melbourne. Leach currently resides in Melbourne.
Leach often does paintings of animals. Leach's work has been exhibited in several museum shows including “Optimism” at the Queensland Art Gallery and “Neo Goth” at the University of Queensland Art Museum in 2008. In 2009 he exhibited “the Shilo Project” at the Ian Potter Museum of Art and “Horror Come Darkness” at the Macquarie University Art Gallery, as well as “Still” at Hawkesbury Regional Gallery in 2010. His work is held in public collections of regional galleries including Geelong, Gold Coast, Coffs Harbour, Newcastle, Gippsland, and the collections of Latrobe University and the University of Queensland. Leach’s portrait of musical comedian Tim Minchin won the Archibald Prize in 2010. Leach’s painting Cinder with Partial Dymaxion is quite intriguing. It includes a sleeping chimpanzee surrounded by coloured squares that are bent at a 40-degree angle. The reason I find this artwork intriguing is because I can’t understand its meaning. It looks like a mysterious fantasy image.
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Cinder with Partial Dymaxion 2013, oil on linen, 127 x 127cm
Tim Minchin 2010, oil and resin on wood, 60 x 38cm, Archibald Prize Winner 2010 References Sam Leach’s webpage http://sam-leach.squarespace.com/c-v/ Retrieved 21st May 2014 Sullivan Strumpf Fine Art Sydney http://sullivanstrumpf.com/artists/leach-sam/ Retrieved 21st May 2014 5
Ben Smith artist Ben Smith is an artist based in Sydney, Australia. In 2010 he won the Waverley Art Prize, the Mosman Emerging Artist Art Award and the Odd Nerdrum Self Portrait Competition. He has been a finalist in numerous established art prizes across Australia, including the Doug Moran Portrait Prize (2009,2010) and the Sulman Prize (2010,2011). He has had three successful solo shows with Dickerson Gallery, Sydney, and has also exhibited in Seoul, Los Angeles and New York. His paintings include portraits, animals, birds and some paintings of fantasy creatures including a painting of a Cerberus, a threeheaded dog from Greek Mythology. Smith’s double self-portrait Doubt begins at breakfast is interesting. In includes Smith having breakfast and a smaller version of himself the size of a child sitting in his lap. This artwork represents that there are times in our adult life when we feel like we are not in control of our lives and feel like a child again and breakfast is when this feeling occurs.
Doubt begins at breakfast (Double Self Portrait), oil on board, 126x 170cm, Finalist in the 2010 Doug Moran Prize
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Even Cerebrus has become doubtful, oil on board, 126 x 208 cm
He is of uneven temperament, oil on board, 95 x 75cm, Winner of the Amanda Phiilips Emerging Artist Award at the Mosman Art Prize References Ben Smith’s web page http://bensmith.viewbook.com/ Retrieved 21st May 2014 Scott Livesey Galleries http://www.scottliveseygalleries.com/artists.php Retrieved 21st May 2014
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Kate Shaw Shaw is an Australian artist. In 1994 she received a Bachelor of Arts, Fine Arts Honors (Painting) RMIT University, Melbourne. In 1997 she received 1997 Diploma of Museum Studies, Deakin University, Melbourne. These are a few of Shaw’s paintings.
Spegill, acrylic and resin on board, 60cm x 180cm, 2013
Ecology, acrylic and resin on board, 60cm x 75cm, 2011
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Glitter Gulch, Acrylic and resin on board, 60 x 60cm, 2010
Quarantine, acrylic and resin on board, 60cm x 75cm, 2010
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Shaw’s paintings are an interpretation and meditation of the natural environment. Her paintings are abstracted landscapes from figurative fragments and irregular forms of marbled paint. The materiality of the paintings mimics the physical forms and patterns that occur in the natural world. Shaw has an intriguing technique of creating incongruous shapes of flecks and drips of paint to create intriguing artworks. Shaw’s art has been shown in numerous exhibitions nationally and internationally. “My practice re-interprets notions of what constitutes landscape painting, both within an art historical context and a contemporary social context. The paintings deal with the tensions and dichotomies in both the depiction of the natural world and our relationship to it. I am concurrently exploring the sublime in nature whilst imbuing a sense of toxicity and artificiality in this depiction. The intention is to reflect upon the contradiction between our inherent connection to the natural world and continual distancing from it. My paintings aim to convey ideas of nature, alchemy and creation by operating on one level as a landscape another as abstraction.” References Kate Shaw’s official website http://www.kateshaw.org/ Retrieved 12th March 2014
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Norman Lindsay (1879 – 1969)
Photo taken 1931 Lindsay was one of Australia's most famous and prolific artists. Lindsay's artwork included painting, sculpture, cartoons, etching and model building. Most people know Lindsay as the writer and illustrator of the classic Australian children's book The Magic Pudding originally published 1918. However Lindsay’s talents were not limited to writing for children. Lindsay did many oil and watercolour paintings as well. Lindsay was a successful but controversial artist. He did a lot of paintings and etchings of curvaceous nude women, which were considered pornography by some people. In fact in 1940 some of Lindsay's paintings and etchings were brought to the U.S. to protect them from the war. But unfortunately these artworks were considered pornography by American officials and were burned. Lindsay's response was “Don't worry, I'll do more.” In an interview Lindsay did in 1964 for a TV documentary The Lively Arts he describes the female body as “a very important form” and “the most beautiful form on this Earth. The continuity of life is vested in women.” Norman Lindsay was one of ten children of an Irish surgeon and his wife. Several of Norman’s siblings also became successful artists. Percy Lindsay (1870 - 1952) was a successful landscape artist. Lionel Lindsay (1874 - 1961) was an artist who specialized in etching and engraving. Daryl Lindsay (1989 - 1976) was both an artist and art critic. Ruby Lindsay (1885 - 1919) worked as an illustrator for the Bulletin magazine and designed posters. After the First World War she visited relatives in Ireland and died
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during the Spanish flu influenza epidemic. Lionel and Daryl Lindsay both received knighthoods for their contributions to the art world. Norman Lindsay was offered a knighthood twice but declined describing the award as “ridiculous”. Norman Lindsay was married twice. His first marriage was to Kate Parkinson in 1900 and they had two sons. They divorced in 1918. Rose Lindsay (1885 – 1978) started modeling for Lindsay in 1902 and became his second wife. She was Lindsay's most recognized model. They married in 1920 and had two daughters. Rose not only modeled for Lindsay, she was also his business manager and printer of most of his etchings. Norman Lindsay lived for most of his life in a stone cottage located about 4km from Springwood train station. The house is located on a 17-hectare (42 acre) block of land that includes two smaller buildings, which Lindsay used as an oil painting studio and an etching studio. The house was originally built in 1894 and was bought by Lindsay in 1912. Lindsay rebuilt the house over the years adding columns and a verandah. He built on the block of land the additional buildings that he used as studios. He also added paths, fountains and various sculptures made out of concrete and bronze. Norman lived and worked on this property until his death in 1969 aged 90. He is buried in the Springwood cemetery. After he died the property was made into a museum and was first opened in 1973 as the Norman Lindsay Gallery and is owned by the National Trust of Australia.
The Norman Lindsay Gallery
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Some of Norman Lindsay’s paintings
The Amazons, 1939, oil on canvas, 80 x 50.5 cm
Summer Reverie, oil on canvas, 77 x 90 cm
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Sea Urchins, oil on canvas, 91.5 x 70.7 cm
Water Nymphs, oil on canvas, 53 x 42.5 cm 14
The Garden God, 1930, watercolour, Norman Lindsay Gallery
Visitants from the Moon, 1947, watercolour, Norman Lindsay Gallery
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How does Norman Lindsay influence my artwork? Lindsay was obsessed with the female figure, just as I am. Lindsay often did paintings of nude women in beautiful nature settings, for example rivers, creeks, gardens and seascapes. I also am doing a series of artworks involving fantasy women in beautiful nature settings. A lot of Lindsay’s artwork as inspired by ancient Greek mythology. The painting series I am currently working on is also inspired by ancient Greek mythology. References Norman Lindsay Gallery, Spingwood: National Trust House Series by Glad, Helen 2009, The National Trust of Australia, Sydney NSW The Legendary Lindsays by Prunster, Ursula 1995, The Beagle Press, Roseville NSW The Sirens [DVD] 1994, Blue Umbrella, Running time: 90 minutes. The Sirens movie is a fictional portrayal of Norman Lindsay starring Sam Neil as Lindsay. One of the ‘Special features’ on the DVD is footage of the interview Lindsay did in 1964 The Lively Arts documentary. Norman Lindsay http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Lindsay Retrieved 21st May 2014
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Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell
Boris Vajello (1941 –) was born and raised in Peru. Vallejo began painting at the age of thirteen and got his first illustration job at the age of sixteen. In 1964 after he had graduated from a Peruvian art school he immigrated to the United States and has been a successful fantasy artist ever since. Vajello’s preferred medium is oil paint on board. Vallejo’s paintings have been used as posters for movies for example Barbarella 1968, Barbarian Queen 1985, National Lampoon's Vacation 1983, National Lampoon's European Vacation 1985, Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters 2007. His paintings have also appeared on the covers of science fiction and fantasy novels and featured in a series of best-selling glossy calendars. Subjects of his paintings are typically sword and sorcery themes, monsters and brawny male and female barbarians engaged in battle. Julie Bell Julie Bell (1958 –) is Boris Vallejo’s wife. She was born in Beaumont, Texas. She is a former body builder and used to be a model for her husband’s artwork. Bell became a fantasy artist in the early 1990’s and her artwork is very similar to her husbands. Her paintings have appeared on the covers of many fantasy/science fiction books and magazines. Bell’s paintings have also been used for the covers of video games and the trading cards of the superheroes of Marvel and DC comics. Vallejo and Bell sometimes do paintings together, thus some paintings are credited under both their names. They married in 1994, reside in Pennsylvania and have two children. 17
Some film posters that are Boris Vallejo’s artwork
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Vallejo did the cover of the novel Cyborg 1972, which became the basis for the TV series The Six Million Dollar Man (1973 – 78) and the spin-off The Bionic Woman (1975 – 78)
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Two of many paintings Vallejo has done of female figures with mythical creatures.
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Some examples of Julie Bell’s artwork
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How do Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell influence my artwork? Vallejo and Bell both do very elaborate fantasy artwork with powerful looking figures. I like the way they make female figures brawny but beautiful at the same time. Like Vallejo and Bell I like to make the women in my paintings look both beautiful and powerful at the same time. References Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell’s website https://www.imaginistix.com/ Retrieved 21st May 2014 Fabulous Fantasy Women, Vallejo, Boris and Bell, Julie 2006, Collins and Brown, London Boris Vallejo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_Vallejo Retrieved 21st May 2014 Julie Bell http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Bell Retrieved 21st May 2014
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Glossary of Fantasy What is fantasy? Fantasy is a type of fiction featuring imaginary worlds and magical or supernatural events. Fantasy likely started out thousands of years ago when people like the Ancient Greeks and Romans told stories involving gods, monsters, strange creatures and great heroes including demi gods. These mythological stories were some of the first fantasy stories. With the creation of books and literature writers were able to create various kinds of fantasy stories and figures and various genres of fantasy. Types of fantasy Fairy tales Fairy tales are fantasy stories, usually for children, set in imaginary worlds, usually taking place in the medieval past and beginning with “once upon a time”. These stories have their roots in traditional folklore and usually contain a moral message. For example in the Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel are both tales that give a warning about trusting strangers. One of the most famous creators of fairy tales was the German born Brothers Grimm, Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859). They created classic fairy tales including Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, Rapanzel and Rumpelstiltskin. Another creator of fairy tales was French author Charles Perrault (12 January 1628 – 16 May 1703) the creator of Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Puss In Boots. Fairy tales can be about people who go through great changes, for example Cinderella tells the tale of a poor peasant girl who is mistreated by her cruel stepmother and stepsisters and with the help of her fairy godmother meets a handsome prince, marries the prince and lives happily ever after. But fairy tales don’t always have happy endings. For example in the tale of Red Riding Hood originally written by Charles Perrault, the big bad wolf disguised as the grandmother devours Red Riding Hood and that is where the story ends. But the Brothers Grimm created their own version of the story, in which a lumberjack hears her scream, runs into the house and kills the wolf with his axe.
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Little Red Riding Hood and Wolf in the forest, by Carl Larsson, 1881, oil on canvas
Hansel and Gretel, illustration by Arthur Rackham, 1909
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Animal Fantasy Animal fantasies are stories involving animals. Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book (1894) and Edgar Rice Burrow’s Tarzan (1919) are examples of animal fantasies as both tales that involve feral children raised by animals. In each of these stories the human protagonists Mowgli in The Jungle Book and Tarzan in Burrow’s stories are able to have conversations with the animals and learn the ways of the jungle. E. B. White’s Charlotte's Web (1952) involves various animals talking to each other just like humans do. Animal fantasies are often about anthropomorphic animals. Anthropomorphism means to give human qualities to animals or objects. Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1901) and Kenneth Graham’s The Wind in the Willows (1908) are two classic examples of anthropomorphic animal tales. Lewis Carol’s Alice In Wonderland (1865) and Through The Looking Glass (1871) also include anthropomorphic animals. In the Rupert Bear books, Rupert an anthropomorphic bear has many friends who are also anthropomorphic animals.
Illustrations from Wind in the Willows from by E. H. Sheppard
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Arabian Knights Fantasy The Arabian Knights relates to book titled in Arabic One Thousand and One Nights but known in English as The Arabian Knights, a compendium of traditional Arabian folk tales. Many of these folk tales come from ancient Arabia or ancient Persia (located in what is now Iran). One of the most famous tales included in Arabian Knights is Aladdin, the tale of a poor young man who one day discovers a hidden cave with a magical lamp that when rubbed releases a powerful genie that makes wishes come true. Another of the most famous tales in the Arabian Knights is Ali Baba, the tale of a poor woodcutter who discovers the secret cave of the “Forty Thieves”, opened with the password “Open Sesame”. The thieves learn this, and try to kill Ali Baba, but Ali Baba's faithful lover foils their plots. Ali Baba keeps the secret of the treasure cave. Another of the most famous characters from the Arabian Knights is Sinbad, a sailor who has many adventures. The most famous adaptation of Aladdin is the 1992 Disney animated film. This film portrayed the genie as a comedy relief character and included an evil sorcerer Jafar as the main antagonist. This film was followed by a sequel the Return of Jafar 1994, a TV series in 1995 and concluded with the film Aladdin and the King Of Thieves 1996. There have been many live-action films about Sinbad the sailor including The 7th Voyage of Sinbad 1958, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad 1973, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger. In 2003 an animated film made by Dreamworks Animation was released titled Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas. Brad Pitt voiced Sinbad.
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Sword and Sorcery Fantasy This fantasy involves sword dwelling hero or heroine in a medieval land fighting evil warlords, monsters, sorcerers, etc. The best example of sword and sorcery fantasy is Conan the Barbarian created in 1932 by American writer Robert E. Howard. Conan originally appeared in a series of pulp fiction magazine stories, which Howard wrote for until he tragically committed suicide in 1936 aged only 30. The term ‘Sword and sorcery fantasy’ was coined in 1961 by British author Michael John Moorcock, but Robert E. Howard is considered the father of the ‘sword and sorcery’ genre. The character Conan was taken over by other writers and Conan appeared in a series of novels, in comic books and in 1982 the feature film Conan the Barbarian was released which stared Arnold Schawarzenegger as the title character. In 1973 Red Sonja, the female equivalent of Conan, first appeared in comic books. A Red Sonja feature film was released in 1984.
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Heroic Fantasy Heroic fantasy is a broader term than ‘sword and sorcery’ genre. In fact ‘heroic fantasy’ is much more epic than ‘sword and sorcery’. Heroic fantasy is about a hero or heroine travelling through a vast and magical land usually on a great quest. The main authors who influenced the heroic fantasy genre are C.S. Lewis, author of the Narnia Chronicles (originally published 1949 – 1954) and J.R.R. author of The Lord of the Rings trilogy (originally published 1954 – 1955) and The Hobbit 1937. The Narnia Chronicles involve children travelling to the magical world of Narnia, a fantasy world of magic, mythical beasts, talking animals and the talking lion Aslan as the deity of Narnia. This series narrates the adventures of various children who play central roles in the unfolding history of Narnia. The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit involve various characters on a long journey across Middle-earth, which is filled with dangerous monsters and various races of people including Hobbits, Dwarfs and Elves.
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The wizard Gandalf on a Middle-Earth landscape.
One of many epic landscapes in New Zealand where The Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit movies were filmed.
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Gothic fantasy Gothic fantasy is dark fantasy characterized by horror themes and a supernatural plot, which usually takes place in an eerie location. Gothic stories often involve vampires, werewolves and other monsters. Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein 1818 and Bram Stoker’s Dracula 1897 are two of the earliest known examples of gothic stories. Modern day examples of gothic fantasy include the Underworld films, a series of films about a conflict between vampires and werewolves. Van Helsing a 2004 film starring Hugh Jackman as the title character. In Bram Stoker’s Dracula Van Helsing is the hunter of Count Dracula. The Van Helsing film re-creates the character of Van Helsing into a monster hunter who not only hunts Dracula and other vampires, but various supernatural creatures including werewolves, gargoyles, Mr Hyde and the Frankenstein monster.
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Mermaids A mermaid is a legendary aquatic creature with the upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including the Near East, Europe, Africa and Asia. The male version is called a Merman. Some people believe that aquatic mammals such as dugongs, manatees and sirenians may have inspired the myth of mermaids and mermen. Christopher Columbus reporting seeing mermaids while exploring the Caribbean, but they were probably manatees.
A Mermaid, 1901, by John William Waterhouse, oil on canvas Mermaids in popular culture One of the most famous mermaid stories is the fairy-tale The Little Mermaid, originally published in 1837 and written by Danish author Hans Christian Anderson. This tells the story of a young mermaid named Aerial who is willing to give up her life in the sea and her identity as a mermaid to gain a human soul and the love of a human prince named Eric. The most famous adaptation of this classic fairy-tale is the Disney animated film released in 1989. Aerial also appeared in several episodes of the third season of Once Upon A Time. 33
The Disney animated Aerial
Snow White meets Aerial in Once Upon A Time
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Mermaids aren’t always portrayed as friendly maidens. For example She Creature a 2001 film, set in 1900, a carnival barker named Angus, discovers a mermaid held captive in a tank by a disturbed old man in England. Angus steals the mermaid and loads her on a ship headed for America. Angus’ lover Lily begins to suspect that the mermaid is more dangerous than she seems. Sure enough this mermaid can change from a beautiful maiden into a grotesque monster with an appetite for human flesh! Mermaids are sometimes equated with Sirens of Greek mythology (see Sirens page 42). In Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 2011, mermaids are portrayed as like Sirens, deadly femme fatales who tempt sailors and then drag them to a watery grave.
In this poster the rock the mermaids are sitting on contains skeletal remains. No doubt the remains of sailors the mermaids have killed.
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Ancient Greek Mythology The Greek (Olympian) Gods and Goddesses Zeus: God of the sky and the King of the Olympian Gods. Usually portrayed holding a lighting bolt. Roman equivalent: Jupiter Poseidon: God of the oceans. Usually portrayed holding a trident. Roman equivalent: Neptune. Hades: God of the Underworld, which is inhabited by the souls of the dead. He is the ancient Greek equivalent of Satan. Roman equivalent: Pluto Ares: God of warfare. Roman equivalent: Mars. Athena: Goddess of wisdom and warfare. Roman equivalent: Minerva. Aphrodite: Goddess of love and beauty. Roman equivalent: Venus. Artemis: Goddess of hunting, the moon and childbirth. Roman equivalent: Diana Demeter: Goddess of the harvest: Roman equivalent: Ceres. Persephone: daughter of Demeter who was abducted by Hades. After Hades tricked Persephone into eating a pomegranate seed, she became Hades wife and had to spend half a year in the Underworld with Hades and then the other half of the year on Earth with her mother Demeter. Roman equivalent: Proserpina. Hera: wife of Zeus. Roman equivalent: Juno. Hermes: Greek messenger God. Roman equivalent: Mercury. Hestia: Goddess of the hearth or fireplace. Roman equivalent: Vesta. Apollo: God of sunlight, music and healing. Also worshipped by the Romans The Titans In Greek mythology, before there were the Olympian Gods there were the Titans, the children of Uranus and Gaea who were the rulers of the Universe until they were overthrown by Cronus, the worst of all the Titans, Roman equivalent: Saturn. Cronus devoured his own children to stop them from overthrowing him, but three of his children Zeus, Poseidon and Hades did overpower him. Cronus and all the other Titans were imprisoned within Tartarus, the lowest part of the Underworld.
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Amazons The Amazons were a tribe of female warriors from ancient Greek mythology. The Amazons were said to have lived in Pontus, part of modern day Turkey, and also Themiscyra Plain located north of Pontus. No men were permitted to enter the Amazons territory, at least not uninvited, but once a year there would be a mating period were the Amazons would have sex with men in order to procreate. Female children were raised to become Amazons while any male children were given to their fathers or killed. The Amazons were fierce warriors and highly skilled with archery and swords. One story in Greek mythology involving the Amazons is that one of the Twelve Labors of the DemiGod hero Hercules was that he had to take a girdle from the Amazon Queen Hippolyta. In the modern period Amazon has become a term used for female warriors in general.
Amazon wearing trousers and carrying a shield with an attached patterned cloth and a quiver. Ancient Greek Attic white-ground alabastron, c. 470 BC, British Museum, London
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Amazons in popular culture Wonder Woman, the first and most famous of all female superheroes, is an Amazon princess. Her real name is Diana she is the daughter of Queen Hippolyta. In this story the Amazons are a race of super strong and immortal women with powers given to them by the Olympian Gods. The Amazon’s live on an island called Themiscyra located in the Atlantic Ocean and hidden from the rest of the world, which the Amazon’s refer to as “Man’s world”. Princess Diana leaves her home island to become the superhero Wonder Woman. Amazons, a 1986 film, produced by Roger Corman, about a tribe of Amazon warriors. In this film two Amazons are chosen to go on journey to retrieve a magical sword, which according to a prophecy will end the rule of an evil sorcerer. The Amazons appeared in some episodes of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys 1995 – 1999 and in many episodes of the spin-off show Xena: Warrior Princess 1995 – 2001. Although Xena fights like an Amazon she isn’t part of any Amazon tribe. There were plans for another spin-off TV show titled Amazon High, which would focus on the Amazon tribes but it was never produced.
Amazons in Xena
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Ephiny, Amazon Queen, Xena seasons 2 – 4
Varia, Amazon Queen, Xena season 6
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Nymphs Nymphs were female nature deities from ancient Greek mythology. Different from goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as divine spirits who animate nature and inhabit areas of natural beauty such as forests, mountains and rivers. Nymphs are usually portrayed as beautiful young women who love to sing and dance.
Hylas and the Nymphs, by John William Waterhouse, 1896, oil on canvas, 132.1 x 197.5 cm, Manchester Art Gallery
Hylas and the Water Nymphs, by Henrietta Rae, 1909, oil on canvas
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Nymphs and Satyr, by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1873, oil on canvas, 260 x 180 cm, Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts
River Nymphs, by Norman Lindsay, oil on canvas 41
Sirens In ancient Greek mythology Sirens were dangerous yet beautiful creatures, portrayed as femme fatales who lured sailors with their enchanting music and voices to the rocky coast of their island. The ships would crash into rocks and sink bringing the sailors to a watery grave. Alternatively sirens would simply lure sailors overboard. Sirens are usually portrayed as humanoid females, so it is understandable why mermaids are sometimes compared with sirens. Sometimes sirens are portrayed as having the bodies of birds and the heads of women, like Harpies, monsters that were half women and half bird. The ancient Greek hero Odysseus also known by the Roman name Ulysses, knew he was sailing through the Siren’s territory so he tied himself to the mast of the ship so the Sirens couldn’t lure him overboard.
Ulysses and the Sirens, by John William Waterhouse, 1891, 100.6 x 202 cm, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
The Siren, by John William Waterhouse, 1900 (the Siren is depicted as a fish-chimera.)
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Ulysses and the Sirens, by Herbert James Draper, 1909, oil on canvas, 177 x 213.5 cm, Ferens Art Gallery, Kingston
The Siren, by Edward Armitage, 1888, oil on canvas, Leeds Art Gallery, West Yorkshire
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Satyrs Satyr, also known by the Roman name Faun, were creatures from Greek Mythology who had the legs and tail of a goat, the torso and head on a man and the horns of a goat on his head. Satyrs were often thought to be quite mischievous. The female version is called a Satyress. One of the most well known examples of a Satyr or Faun is Mr Tumnus in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. In Guillermo Del Torro’s 2006 film Pan’s Labyrinth, a faun guides the film's protagonist, Ofelia, to a series of tasks, which lead her to a wondrous netherworld. Centaurs Creatures from Greek mythology who had the head and torso of a man and the body of a horse. Centaurs were said to be great warriors. Centaurs appeared in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Centaurs occasionally appeared in Xena: Warrior Princess. In Greek Mythology a centaur named Chiron was said to serve as a mentor to Greek warriors such as Achilles, Hercules and Perseus. Chiron was played by Pierce Brosnan in the film Percy Jackson and the Lighting Thief 2010 and by Anthony Stewart Head in the sequel Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters 2013.
Mr Tumnus played by James McAvoy and a centaur in the 2005 film of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. 44
Gorgons In Greek mythology a Gorgon is a monstrous woman with venomous snakes in place of hair and turns anyone who looks at her eyes into stone. The best-known example of a Gorgon is Medusa. The story is that Medusa was once a beautiful young woman who became infatuated with Poseidon who seduced her within Athena’s temple. Athena became enraged with Medusa and turned her into a Gorgon. Medusa was killed by the Greek hero Perseus, the demi-God son of Zeus. Perseus learned that the Princess Andromeda was to be sacrificed to the sea monster Cetus. Andromeda’s mother Queen Cassiopeia had boasted that her daughter was more beautiful than any Olympian Goddess. As punishment for her arrogance, Zeus and Posiedon would release the sea monster Cetus who would ravage the coast unless Andromeda was sacrificed to the monster. Perseus learned that the only way to kill Cetus was with the head of Medusa, as a Gorgon’s eyes can turn any living thing to stone even if the Gorgon is dead. So Perseus entered Medusa’s lair with a sword and a shinny shield that would cast a reflection, as seeing her reflection was the only way to see her without turning to stone. Using the shield like a rear vision mirror Perseus was able to decapitate Medusa. He then used her head as a weapon and turned Cetus to stone just as it was about to devour Andromeda.
Medusa played by Uma Thurman in Percy in the 2010 film Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
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Fantasy Forests An ‘Enchanted forest’ is a common term for a forest in a fantasy story. The Grim Brothers fairy tales often included characters going into a forest where they would encounter something pleasant or something evil. Snow White meets the seven dwarfs in a forest. Hansel and Gretel find the ‘Gingerbread house’ where an evil witch who eats children lives. Red Riding Hood meets the wolf in a forest. A forest is where the dwarf like creature Rumpelstiltskin lives. In Alice and Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, Alice travels through a forest where there are many fantasy creatures including anthropomorphic animals. In the tale of The Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West lives within a dark forest inhabited with dangerous creatures. The Lord of the Rings novels and The Hobbit contain many enchanting forests, including the Fangorn forest and the Old Forest. These stories also occasionally included trees that could uproot themselves and walk. The Lion, The Witch and Wardrobe includes a forest, the first place the Pevensie children encounter when they enter Narnia through the wardrobe. This forest includes a lamppost, the place where Lucy, the first of the children to enter Narnia, first meets Mr Tumnus. In The Wind In The Willows, there is ‘the Wild Wood’ where the devious weasels, stoats and ferrets live. The reclusive but benevolent Badger also lives in the Wild Wood. In the Harry Potter books, the Black Forest near Hogwarts is forbidden because of its magical nature. It is the home of unicorns, centaurs, and Acromantulas (a race of giant spiders). It continues the tradition of the forest as a place of wild things and danger. In the Once Upon A Time TV series “the Enchanted Forrest” is the main setting in the fairy tale world, where many of the fairy tale characters originate.
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Moley lost in the Wild Wood in Wind in the Willows.
The Pevensie children at the lamppost in the forest, in the 2005 film of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
A royal palace in the ‘Enchanted Forest’ in the Once Upon A Time TV series
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Fantasy Oceans In J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, there is an ocean in ‘Neverland’. This ocean includes the island where Peter Pan, Tinkerbell and the Lost Boys live. The third book in the Narnia series, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, involves an epic journey across the ‘Eastern Ocean’ on the sailing ship Dawn Treader. The Lord of the Rings stories included a vast ocean called Ekkaia, also known as Vaiya, the Outer Ocean, the Outer Sea, and the Encircling Sea.
The Dawn Treader in the 2010 feature film of Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
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References for Glossary of Fantasy The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Fantasy, (ed.) Pringle, David 2006, Random House Australia, North Sydney Greek Myths: retold from the classic originals, by Namm, Diane (ill.) Freeberg, Eric Series: Classic starts, Sterling Children’s Books, New York Mermaid http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mermaid Retrieved 21st May 2014 Twelve Olympians http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Olympians Retrieved 21st May 2014 Amazons http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazons Retrieved 21st May 2014 Nymph http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymph Retrieved 21st May 2014 Siren (mythology) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siren_(mythology) Retrieved 21st May 2014 Satyr http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satyr Retrieved 21st May 2014 Centaur http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centaur Retrieved 21st May 2014 Medusa http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medusa Retrieved 21st May 2014
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My fantasy paintings Mermaids
Mermaids swimming through a coral reef, 2014, acrylic and oil on canvas
Mermaids sitting on a coral reef, 2014, acrylic and oil on canvas
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Mermaids swimming with dolphins, 2014, acrylic and oil on canvas
Mermaids defending their ocean, 2014, acrylic and oil on canvas
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Amazons series
Amazons at archery practice, 2014, acrylic and oil on canvas Amazons at sword practice, 2014, acrylic and oil on canvas
Amazons interrogate captured intruders, 2014, acrylic and oil on canvas
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Summary of my paintings My paintings involve fantasy women in natural environments, the mermaids in the ocean and the Amazons in the forest. In the mermaids series you see the mermaids living happily in the tranquil environment of the ocean and interacting with dolphins. But just because the mermaids live in a tranquil environment does not mean they are carefree. For these mermaids to keep their aquatic paradise they must fight to protect it from those who would harm it. This can be seen in Mermaids defending their ocean when corrupt sailors try to illegally dump toxic waste into the ocean. The mermaids unleash their fury, their tridents and use their magical powers. The mermaids create huge waves causing the ship to rock. The mermaids also use their power to make sharks, the scariest predators of the ocean, jump up through the waves and near the sailors. These powers make the mermaids the protectors and the deities of the ocean. In the Amazons series you see the Amazons demonstrate their warrior skills. In the Amazons interrogate captured intruders I depict what happens when intruders enter the Amazons territory. In my painting a group of loggers have foolishly trespassed into the Amazons territory, thinking the Amazons wouldn’t discover them, but in the forest the Amazons have eyes everywhere. Once captured the Amazons have the male trespassers tied to trees and then they interrogate and torture them. They torture these men by firing arrows at them but intentionally missing them. The fact that these men were intending to fell their trees enrages the Amazons, as felling trees would destroy their paradise. My two paintings series are of Mermaids and Amazons living in beautiful environments, which they protect from these evil intruders who seek to destroy the environment. So my fantasy paintings contain an environmental message about the importance of protecting the natural world. In these paintings I portray women the protectors of nature and the most powerful beings. I am a feminist in my own way.
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