Beauty & Strangeness
“There is no exquisite beauty without some strangeness in the proportion.”
-Edgar Allan Poe, Ligeia
Beauty and Strangeness, graphite on Bristol, 8” x 10” 2025
One of the major themes of my art is light vs. dark, and death vs. life. These phrases of dichotomy characterize the Christian faith, as Jesus’ death provides to us new life, we once were in darkness but now walk in light, and are even cleansed, once dirty from sin.
Faith is required to believe this is true, because right now we can’t see it. Right now, heaven seems far off. If you tend towards nihilism or criticism in any way, it’s easy to say this world is full of death. If you find yourself thinking that, then you might tell yourself not to be so negative, there is plenty of beauty and life in the world as well. And that’s what this drawing is about.
Collage reference vs. drawing in progress
It’s a self-portrait since I used myself as the reference along with many other photos in a collage, but also because it is close to my heart in many of my thoughts and moods. I chose symbols that allude to stages in life, as well as plants and butterflies that symbolizes growth and life. These elements surround the main portrait, showing how life and death are part of our life cycle. This happens in small ways as well as literal deaths and births throughout our time on earth.
People often argue that a good God wouldn’t allow so much suffering in this world. But one thing I do know about God is that He uses things for good. He doesn’t create evil or bad situations. Yet even in the terrible things happen because of individual free will, He turns into something beautiful.
My personal copy of Edgar Allan Poe’s collected works
The quote above from Edgar Allan Poe may not seem as dark as all I wrote. It can also be interpreted as the importance of uniqueness. Beautiful people often have something unique about them that makes them memorable and stand out. With all the AI “art” creating the same faces and plastic surgery running rampant among celebrities, there’s little that seems unique. Instead, everyone seems to want to be the same.
Aside from looks, our lives our incredibly unique. I am sometimes awestruck at the variety in human experiences. People may be so close for most of their lives and still be so different. Each human experience is uniquely individual and that’s just amazing to me.
I hope you enjoyed this ramble, a sort of diary-like entry of thoughts. If you resonate with this artwork, you can purchase it here in my shop. Thank you for reading!