“I don’t really care much for the idea of
‘normal’ –
that’s very abstract to me.
I think that perfection is practically
unattainable
but imperfection is right at hand.
So that’s why I love monsters:
because they represent a side of us
that we should actually embrace and celebrate.”
- Guillermo del Toro,
Mexican-American Film Director
A change of
pace this week: I recently spent a delightfully bizarre afternoon experiencing At Home With Monsters, Guillermo del
Toro’s current exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) in Toronto. (On
display until January 7, 2018. Link.)
Del Toro is
a well-known film director with a taste for monsters, ghoulies, and the
macabre. I’m not a huge fan of his movies (Hellboy,
Pan’s Labyrinth, The Devil’s Backbone, etc.), but I do enjoy his creative process and the byzantine
complexities of his mind. He embraces the twisted elements
of our personalities, seeing them as worthy of celebration. He feels we cannot
fully embrace our humanity without also acknowledging our inherent nastiness.
Or, as he puts it, “Inspiration is a monster.”
One of his
passions is collecting art work inspired by classic horror films, as well as
props from his own frightening movies. The AGO exhibit features objects from
this collection, all set against intensely red walls. What fun it was to wander
around the exhibit with my camera! (Non-flash photos were encouraged.) It was
like watching a very scary movie, knowing you could squeal and squirm, yet ultimately
walk away from the monster’s embrace.
Or could
you? Could you really escape the power of these creatures? Are they really twisted
images of our selves, waiting to take over our psyches? Perhaps one day I will
write about the evils within. For now, enjoy these photographs from Guillermo
del Toro’s fabulous mind.
The Pale Man's Hand
Pan's Labyrinth, 2006
(DDT Efectos Especiales)
Unrequited - The Monster's Bride
by Mike Hill
Dr. Frankenstein's Monster
by Mike Hill
Joseph Merrick, aka The Elephant Man
by Thomas Kuebler
Bust of Count Orlock
from Nosferatu, 1922
Artist Unknown
Escape, 2016
by Emilie Steele
The Faun
from Pan's Labyrinth, 2006
(DDT Efectos Especiales)
Horror Comic Collection
(Comics from The Beguiling, Toronto)
Horror Comic Collection - Detail
(Comics from The Beguiling, Toronto)
Dr. Frankenstein's Monster Masks, Gift Shop
Dr. Frankenstein's Monster, Gift Shop
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