the Old Curiosity Shop: Pumpkin the Illustrated

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Pumpkin the Illustrated

I was looking for the health benefits of pumpkins the other day and I don't know how I ended up with the amazing pumpkin illustrations below. I think it all started with the illustration called Pumpkin Witch by Elia Fernandez. I was simply drifted away from one to another. In the end, I was happy with what I had found.

Each illustration I'm sharing here is portraying a totally different and dreamy use of the pumpkin. It's the magical power of a witch in one and a flying machine in one another. You might feel attracted to any of them or none of them for several reasons. Each one is unique in its own way.

I noticed, on the other hand, one common aspect in all. None of the pumpkins has connection to reality. Have a look. They all seem to have popped out of a fairy tale, a fantasy, a dream or a nightmare. The illustrator/designer treated it as if it was a written rule to place the pumpkin in a magical context. Is it because pumpkins are culturally coded that way? Are we all nourished by the same cultural heritage leaving no space for individual choice of the context even in art?

Pumpkin #1: 'Pumpkin Witch' by Elia Fernandez