After successful runs in Whitby and London, Dracula-based exhibition ‘God’s Women, Good Men and Monsters’ will soon make its final stop in York. Opening Friday, 25th of April on the newly refurbished Contemporary Floor at York Fine Arts, the exhibition features ten original pencil illustrations by York artist Kirsty Maclennan, contextualised by an immersive collection of film, music and curios. The brainchild of publisher and entrepreneur Leticia Lentini of The Crow Emporium, the exhibition brings together the specially commissioned collection of illustrations, original scores and calligraphy used for The Crow Emporium’s new publication of Dracula and gives a fascinating delve into the making of this edition.
Tapping into a ravenous appetite for illustrated literary classics, the touring exhibition has already welcomed hundreds of visitors and amassed a devoted following in the lead up to its final show. Fittingly opened in Whitby, the birthplace of Stoker’s tale, at the Pannett Art Gallery during the town’s notorious Goth Weekend last October, the exhibition was featured on ITV before travelling to the Crypt Gallery, London in February. But unlike these previous exhibitions, Kirsty’s illustrations will now be available to purchase for the very first time.
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| 'Mina Hypnotised - Dracula, Chapter XXIII' |
| Original Pencil Illustration by Kirsty Maclennan |
Taking the better part of a year to complete, Kirsty’s finely detailed illustrations bring new blood to Bram Stoker’s classic gothic tale. She says,
"Dracula is such a staple of popular culture; we think we know the story, but really, it surprises at every turn. Each character suffers invasions of their body and mind at the hand of the Count, whether directly or through his ruthless actions. I wanted to capture something of that horror, worlds charged with creeping mist and the threat of the uncanny."
For her depictions of the renowned gothic horror’s characters, Kirsty turned to real people in her immediate surroundings. Lifting the lid on their identity for the first time, Kirsty reveals that she used her partner and work colleagues as models to create more realistic and personal imagery, casting each into a role and weaving their likeness throughout the pages of her illustrations. She says,
“I felt I could give more power and modern relevance to the characters and their experience by drawing from life, rather than my imagination. Particularly with Alan, our late Director. I was deeply touched that his family allowed me to honour his legacy by including him as my Van Helsing. He is greatly missed, and I just know he would get a real kick out of seeing himself in the pages of Dracula.”
Surrounded by the faces of her colleagues, both in person and on the walls, Kirsty feels the close of the exhibition at York Fine Arts is particularly fitting.
“The project has been a very special one to me, and it feels right that the show should finish its run in the city I now call home.’
Gallery Manager Deanna Dawkins agrees.
“Hosting the final run of the exhibition at York Fine Arts is such a fantastic way for us to support Kirsty as one of our own and applaud her as an emerging artist very clearly on the rise. We couldn’t think of a better way to mark the reopening of our recently refurbished contemporary space and open the next chapter for our expanding contemporary collection.”
Published by The Crow Emporium Press, an independent, artist-led publisher based in Whitby, this new illustrated edition of Dracula can be purchased exclusively at The Crow Emporium. The volume also features calligraphy and drawings by American artist Christina Rauh Fishburne, a sample of which will also be on display at York Fine Arts.
