Faye Dowling - The Book of Skulls

THE BOOK OF SKULLSTHE BOOK OF SKULLS Faye Dowling Laurence King Publishing Matt Furie, Panic Attack. Noel McLaughlin, skulls at the Crypt of the Sepulchral Lamp at the Paris catacombs, France. THE CULT OF THE SKULL Since its renaissance in the 1970s, the skull has emerged as one of the most recognizable symbols of todays contemporary visual landscape. Reborn through the music, fashion and art of an alternative youth culture, it has evolved from its spiritual and religious origins to become an icon for a post-modern society consumed by the desire to set itself apart from the crowd. From African charms to Mayan sculptures, Greek myths to Aztec legends, Buddhist gods to Catholic martyrs, Shakespearian verse to Gothic stories, the skull appears throughout the myth and legend of human culture. A sacred symbol of luck or intellect, protection or fear, flesh or the soul, death or resurrection, divinity or the devil, its mystical and spiritual powers have captivated humanity and cast the skull as an emblem for the human consciousness, a memento mori through which to explore our fascination with the transience of life, death and the human soul. Repurposed and recast by artists, illustrators and designers, this morbid motif has found its way into the visual vocabulary of urban life, a smiley face for a gothic generation, its macabre and mystic meanings re-appropriated by a disaffected youth as a timeless symbol of anarchy, rebellion and revolution.

From the Misfits to Massive Attack, Andy Warhol to Alexander McQueen, Hello Kitty to The Mighty Boosh, Dal to Damien Hirst, the skull has straddled the worlds of music, fashion, art and popular culture to become todays ultimate anti-establishment icon, a tribal emblem encapsulating the spirit of rock, punk, goth, skate and street cultures, and a universal shorthand for cool. Bringing together artwork and images from across the fields of visual art and culture, The Book of Skulls pays tribute to the global phenomenon of the skull, the most revered icon of our times. Telegramme, Prt Porter, poster, metallic silver screenprint on Colourplan paper. Telegrammes decorative celtic patterns create a skull print for a pop generation. Chris Graham, Look (Fuck) magazine. Jasper Goodall, Medusa, from the 'Poster Girl' series. Julien Choquart & Camille Hirigoyen / JACK, stills from Miracle Man music video for Cocosuma. Julien Choquart & Camille Hirigoyen / JACK, stills from Miracle Man music video for Cocosuma.

JACK uses old-school animation in their popgoth animated music video. Noah Scalin, Skullphabet, typeface design. Noah Scalin, 347. Skulledelic. The success of Scalins Skull-A-Day blog is testament to the draw of the skull as a contemporary pop icon. Donnachie Simionato & Son with Sergei Sviatchenko, Throw the Dice, poster artwork for Acido Surtido. Bela Borsodi, Triathlon, fashion editorial. Bela Borsodi, Triathlon, fashion editorial.

Borsodis graphic still lifes transform accessories into kitsch fashion statements. Noma Bar, Malaria, illustration for The Guardian. James Hopkins, Le Visage de Vanitas. Noma Bar, Bloody Black (oil fights), illustration for FHM magazine. The skull becomes a universal metaphor in Bars graphic editorial illustrations. Mirko Ili Terrorism and the Mafia, sculpture for Panorama magazine.

Ili enlists the skull as a symbol for death in his dark visual sculpture. Patrick Thomas, The Atomic Bazaar: The Rise of the Nuclear Poor, screenprint for The New York Times Book Review cover. Noma Bar, Red Tears, illustration, personal project. Boo Davis / Quiltsrche, Basketcase, quilt design based on Basket Weave pattern, cotton. Boo Davis / Quiltsrche, Skullfucked, quilt design based on Half-Log Cabin pattern, cotton with ink silkscreening.