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Non-existent Worlds - Science Fiction and Fantasy Illustrations


I remember my first encounter with illustrations of Science Fiction and Fantasy landscapes. It was in a library in Eastern Carelia near the Russian border. I had found these huge American illustrated books presenting architecture, vehicles and landscapes of the worlds which did not exist - but which made me wish they would.

Today I saw some images of Asian concept architecture on my Facebook friend's wall. Suddenly, I had a dejavú and started an hour long journey to the worlds which do not exist. I have travelled beyond stars, to our unknown past and our frightening future - and again these fantastic drawings got me out

Science fiction and fantasy has always presented images of something unexisting or presenting a dream where our world should be heading to - or dystopy of a future we are heading with our current lifestyle.

Most of the Art Critics doom these paintings and illustrations as a pulp art. Figurative painting, even of fantasy worlds, has not been taken seriously by the serious people. For me these are perhaps the ones which leave the deepest impact.

Of course, there are exeptions. No one argues whether the work by Frenchmen Enki Bilal or Mœbius are art or not. In fact, Bilal has been mentioned also in serious literary anthologies as one of the modern European novelists. His novels happen to be comic novels. Mœbius is known also for his concept design for the film The Fifth Element (together with Mezieres).

Digital Art is no Worse than Oil Paintings

No matter of the technique - digital is no worse than guasch or oil painting techniques. Have the critics even been on the journey? Have they experienced the most fantastic and imaginative computer games there is? Have they travelled with Prince of Persia or run for their lives in Call of Duty? Landscapes and the imaginary these great pieces of digital culture present are the art today's children experience.

And now, the journey I made today.
Christopher Balaskas: Alpine observation tower

Richard Dorran's Sofia Hagia inspired Fantasy Castle

Uli Staiger: Air Train

Mark Molnar's Cyperpunk inspired landscape

Mark Molnar

Image from the Starcraft II (Computer game)
 
Finnian MacManus
Prince of Persia
Macig the Gathering - The Swamp
Finnian MacManus: Aurora Rising
Ralph McQuarrie
Enki Bilal, French cartoonist and film creator

Enki Bilal

Enki Bilal
Mœbius (alias Jean Giraud): Aeron. He died in March, 2012.

Mœbius
Torments - Tides of Numeria. Game concept drawing in Kickstarter

Jean Claude Mezieres' concept drawing to the Fifth Element
Read also my related blog entry: Non Existent Worlds II: Sceneries and Planets.
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