Underworlds takes readers on a captivating visual odyssey to the
underbelly of everything, beginning with depictions of life and natural
systems existing beneath the surface of the Earth and ending with
imagery that emanates from the depths of our subconscious. Work by
world-renowned artists--from Peter Paul Rubens and René Magritte to
contemporary artists such as Kara Walker and Roger Ballen--is featured
alongside recently unearthed images from archives around the world.
Expertly curated, themed, and paired by image alchemist Stephen Ellcock,
these remarkable depictions evoke the underworlds--both real and
imagined--that have fascinated humankind for millennia.
From the burrows and secret bunkers beneath our feet to imagined
hellscapes and surrealist dreamscapes, the disquieting, alarming, and
wonderful visuals span natural and constructed subterranea and imagined
and subconscious worlds. The works of art featured range from the
scientific and photographic to the surreal and visionary. A personal
introduction by Ellcock together with contextual chapter introductions
establish key themes while panel texts elucidate essential concepts,
historical events, and figures. Thought-provoking literary,
philosophical, and spiritual quotations punctuate the intriguing images.
Together, the arresting images and authoritative text highlight the
interplay between the real and the imagined, revealing how the real has
informed our imagination, and conversely how our imagination has
depicted the esoteric, the abject, and the unknown.
