Fantasy A Part of all Human Societies
Every creature at some point of time tends to dwell in a fantasy world and mankind has always been a dreamer with strong need for the irrational. As we see even in the prehistoric age, many paintings depicted gods, imaginary fantasy beasts and other mythical creatures while some pictures from the caves in Spain had pictures which were over 15,000 years old.
When it were discovered at first they were believed to be fake but with the discoveries done in other caves these paintings were confirmed as real and original where the people had painted them to the extent of giving them an abstract figure, more of a fantasy. As fantasy has existed down the ages, so also fantasy art and illustration.
Fantasy art has always been a part of all human societies all through history and is found in plenty in folklore, fairy tales, mythology, religion and science fiction. Most of the ideas and fantasy stories have made their place in art, with illustration into reality and fantasy art and fantasy literature have always been linked like the two sides of a coin.
High and Low Fantasy
To define what is not a reality in the form of fantasy is quite a difficult task and for high fantasy, in terms of illustration and literature could be one from other world or other worldly creatures. A great fantasy writer and expert, Tolkien, has defined the difference in terms of primary and a secondary world, primary which is our own world while secondary being the imaginary world.
High fantasy according to him is distinguished from low fantasy on the basis of setting and low fantasy is set in our real primary world. Low fantasy may then include all mythology, fictions, fairytales which may be fanciful and a non –rational phenomenon but tend to exist in our world without any explanation of its existence in the rational world.
Mythology History in Fantasy Art
The ability to create within secondary world in the past was not always permitted and fantasy art did not emerge through the creation of secondary world but through the depiction of low fantasy which exist in the primary world.
Popular themes of fantasy art that have been adopted in the new worlds of high fantasy that have always been are the fairy tales, folklore, legends and mythology. European art in the past were the only themes which seemed worthy and were portraiture, of Christian or classical mythology while artistic imagination was not free. While depicting myths and tales, the need to hold true to the story was essential.
Myth defined as fiction at one point of time was considered as fact to some people and art was created in context to the beliefs which they looked upon even to the extent that though they were not believed in by the society, they were at least revered and respected.
Mythology history in fantasy art takes us back to the cave drawings of imaginary gods, beasts and mythical creatures which arose probably from a need to explain various things which is captured and subdued in the form of fantasy art.
When it were discovered at first they were believed to be fake but with the discoveries done in other caves these paintings were confirmed as real and original where the people had painted them to the extent of giving them an abstract figure, more of a fantasy. As fantasy has existed down the ages, so also fantasy art and illustration.
High and Low Fantasy
To define what is not a reality in the form of fantasy is quite a difficult task and for high fantasy, in terms of illustration and literature could be one from other world or other worldly creatures. A great fantasy writer and expert, Tolkien, has defined the difference in terms of primary and a secondary world, primary which is our own world while secondary being the imaginary world.
Mythology History in Fantasy Art
Popular themes of fantasy art that have been adopted in the new worlds of high fantasy that have always been are the fairy tales, folklore, legends and mythology. European art in the past were the only themes which seemed worthy and were portraiture, of Christian or classical mythology while artistic imagination was not free. While depicting myths and tales, the need to hold true to the story was essential.
Mythology history in fantasy art takes us back to the cave drawings of imaginary gods, beasts and mythical creatures which arose probably from a need to explain various things which is captured and subdued in the form of fantasy art.
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