Aside from the change in weather, I love Halloween for the costumes. And the decorations. And Trick or Treating. Memories of Gate Night pranks. Creepy night-time visits to cemeteries. I adore haunting about old graveyards to look at the sculptures and the tombstones. This year, I plan on finally taking the Greenwood Cemetery tour in Brooklyn. It's one of the most famous graveyards in New York.
I've always had an interest in Gothic art and the religious symbolism of my born faith of Catholicism, along with the darker aspects of human nature. One cannot have a preference and appreciation for the ligher side of life without cultivating an interest in the darker side. As a trained children's book artist, I naturally tend towards themes which scare children universally: death, darkness, gloom, fear, the unknown, change. It marks so much of our childhood experiences, just as much (if not more) than the happy memories we have: traumatic schoolyard experiences, bullies, classroom gaffs, feeling like an outsider, first crushes and broken hearts, being on the cusp of knowledge—children are the original gloomy Goths. Add dressing up in costumes and the quest for candy, and you have concocted the perfect kid's holiday.We loved every aspect of it in my home: garnishing the banisters with cobwebs, planning (and sometimes making) our costumes, marking out territories for maximum candy intake, competing for the best routes, roaming at dusk with a group of friends and a rush of feeling free as the sugar kicks in, glow sticks, getting scared and scaring ourselves along with the neighborhood kids.
Nothing quite primed the imagination of a budding would-be artist like myself than reading creepy books. I adored (naturally) Edgar Allen Poe, and The Raven. And Stephen Kings' character Pennywise the Clown—an evil, alien clown that preys on children. Yep, that sounded just about terrifying enough to me. Shakespeare, with his ghosts and dead childhood playmates, like Macbeths' graveyard meditation in Hamlet with Yoricks' skull. Horror movies were a Friday night pastime in our household, and each kid had their movie monster bugaboo—my oldest brother was afraid of Frankenstein, my middle brother feared The Wolfman, and I was both fascinated and horrified by vampires, with all the nightmares they bring.
All that paled to discovering Tim Burton as a very young adult. When The Nightmare Before Christmas came out, I just graduated from art school and started my apprenticeship at my first job in publishing, as a production assistant. I remember my friends and classmates telling me "You have to see this. Everything you think about and believe as an artist is in this movie. It's you, Marie!! It's like we're watching you onscreen."And so it was. The Burton aesthetic lit me up: how definite his P.O.V. is and how strong his personality. Doomed to die (as a part of the accepting human condition), but also deeply funny. How awkward and lonely we all feel at times, yet, this too, is so common and human, so then how lonely are we really, if we all share this feeling? It's a strong bond between us all. For artists, no holiday allows us to truly express ourselves better than Halloween. We get to be wildly creative this one time of year, without impunity. I am known for obscure and nebulous costumes which make you think "What exactly is she?" Hmm, yes. That's a good response.
In the next post, I will delve into the flip side of all these demons and ghouls, with an exploration into the religious and cultural components which draw me to this time of year as well. Don't forget all you ghouls and goblins out there, that the very next day is All Saints Day. The ultimate purpose of dressing up is to fool you nasty devils ;) So be on the lookout for that angel looking over your shoulder.
Now, the ultimate question is: what are you going to be for Halloween this year? Stay tuned....
