Brian Froud's World of Faerie
by Brian Froud
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Book Summary Information
Author: Brian FroudBrand: Insight Editions
Foreword: Ari Berk
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-09-04
ISBN: 193378413X
Number of pages: 168
Publisher: Insight Editions
Book Reviews of Brian Froud's World of Faerie
Book Review: a transformative new book by an accomplished faery artist - 4.5 stars
Summary: 5 Stars
I always look foreword to new offerings from Brian Froud, and 'World of Faerie' is no exception. Overall, I was pleased with this collection of words and images, and my reaction to this, his first major faery-dedicated book in numerous years, is composed more of commentary rather than any real criticism. The original 'Faeries' will always be the pinnacle of his work, in my opinion, but this is not to suggest that his artistic growth in the past 25 years since its publication is not valuable; it is just that 'Faeries' had such a profound influence on my own artwork and world view from a very early age that it's difficult to supplant something so personally significant. (I also have to take into consideration that 'Faeries' was a collaboration with an equally-gifted artist, Alan Lee, and I do believe that 'Faeries' contains more enchantment than the sum of the talents of both artists.)
This book is something of a compilation and its contents span the course of Froud's thirty-year eldritch journey. There are familiar and well-loved images in its pages -- paintings recognizable from Faeries (25th Anniversary Edition), The Faeries' Oracle, The Runes of Elfland, Good Faeries Bad Faeries, work that has made fleeting appearances on his website over the years, etc. In addition, it includes numerous pieces which were created to accompany Terri Windling's lovely mythopoetic novel The Wood Wife. While these images have appeared online on the Endicott Studio website, I believe this may be the first time they are widely available in print. For die-hard Froudians, there are a few never-before (publicly) seen paintings and drawings scattered throughout. The Unicorn Women are richly-detailed, symbol-laden pieces which are brand new.
Observant fans of Froud's work will also find not just familiar pieces within its pages, but also familiar faces. To my knowledge, Froud often uses his own photographs of friends and acquaintances who pose for him as reference for his artwork, and one can note the features of his favorite muses (including, of course, his preeminent muse Wendy Froud to whom the book is dedicated) reflected throughout. For example, the male faery in the drawing on page 121 is obviously based on the same model for the painting on page 128. The gorgeous olive-skinned fay on page 39 also appears in sketch form on page 8. One of my only criticisms though might be that there are a handful of paintings in which virtually the same exact pose and/or composition is replicated. There is a painting of a faery called "Lilu" in 'Good Faeries/Bad Faeries' whose visage also appears in 'World of Faery' on page 44 along with other members of the Unseelie Court. For some reason this is especially the case with his depictions of Frog Women. I would love to see Brian take a slightly new perspective on these beautiful creatures who are some of my favorite of the fae who visit his studio.
Taking a presentational cue from the Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book: 10 3/4 Anniversary Edition series, this book also incorporates three smaller booklets: one in memory of a late friend and composer, one of Froud's digital/photomanipulated art, and one relating to Greenmen and other arboreal fay. There is also a poster tucked away on the inside of the back cover featuring a poem by Neil Gaiman. Froud mentions in his introduction that an alternate title for 'World of Faerie' is 'Brian Froud's Book on How to Paint and Draw Faeries,' and Gaiman's 'Instructions' is definitely in the spirit of a genuine approach to creating mythic art, infinitely more so than the slew of previously published books which claim to teach one to do so.
The conscious role of 'World of Faerie' as a catalyst to (hopefully) initiate a shifting towards more soulful faery art in the face of the overly-commercialized facet of the genre is only indirectly derived from Froud's own words -- the explicit statements to this affect are outlined in Ari Berk's foreword. Berk is an author/artist/scholar after my own heart, and I am pleased to see concerns and sentiments that I have been writing about for years expressed in such a broadly dispersed, printed form. I wholeheartedly agree with David Riche's statements in his review regarding this book as a powerful touchstone to counter the onslaught of superficial "fairy art" which has become popular in recent years.
Summary of Brian Froud's World of Faerie
Drawing inspiration from the gnarled shrubbery of England's windswept moorlands, Brian Froud is best known for being the mad genius behind Jim Henson's film The Dark Crystal and illustrating such best-sellers as Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book. In this volume, a long-awaited sequel to his international best-sellers Faeries and Good Faeries/Bad Faeries, Froud returns to the world of faerie with a wealth of new, never-before-seen paintings, watercolors, and drawings. Brian Froud's World of Faerie offers us a startling new vision of the magical realm, enhanced by Froud's own words about his experiences and insights.This lavish, full-color book opens the door to Brian Froud's wondrous imagination as never before. It presents beautiful portrayals of faeries that have touched hearts and minds for generations. World of Faerie is by far Froud's most personal book, and represents this visionary artist and creator of fantasy worlds at the pinnacle of his powers. This encompassing volume is a must-have for faerie and fantasy fans of all ages, the world over.
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