Nonsense

Edward Gorey illustration

Edward St. John Gorey (1925–2000) - the American writer, Tony Award-winning costume designer, and artist - was known among many other things for his enigmatic pen-and-ink illustrations, including for his own books.

Gorey's illustrated books are populated by vaguely sinister characters in seemingly Victorian or Edwardian settings, all of which led both to a cult following and to some confusion about him being British (he had never visited England).

His works, which are not without their dark side, are also whimsical and endlessly engaging.

Edward Gorey, an illustration from his book the Osbick Bird, an allegory about the meaning of love

According to his “E. Gorey’s Great Simple Theory About Art” … anything that is art . . . is presumably about some certain thing, but is really always about something else, and it’s no good having one without the other, because if you just have the something it is boring and if you just have the something else it’s irritating.

Edward Gorey illustration

Edward Gorey illustration

Classifying his own work as “literary nonsense” (a genre that merges sensical and non-sensical elements - think Lewis Carroll), Gorey did not believe in “sunny, funny nonsense” which he described as “boring, boring, boring”. Hence so many of his characters have a distinctly gothic feel. And yet, a few happy ones sneaked by him, at least to my eye, or perhaps it is the innate humour in his work that won the day.

And so, happy merry holidays to all!

Edward Gorey illustration