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DaVinci41 β A Deep One
Published: 2007-10-13 04:27:05 +0000 UTC; Views: 2756; Favourites: 48; Downloads: 0
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Description
Here's another conceptual design sketch, this time a Deep One in its tertiary and final stage of development, from H.P. Lovecraft's classic tale, "The Shadow Over Innsmouth".Related content
Comments: 13
Thank you for including my sketch! I'm honored.
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I too am a Miskatonic Alumnus
Also, I love that you chose to use the word "tertiary" rather than "third". There's something to be said for a bit of literary awesomeness. It's sad that many people have such pedestrian writing/vocabulary skills (though I'm no Hemingway by any stretch). Language is a tool, and communication is a dance. It's always nice to see someone who speaks/writes with a little panache.
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Yes, Lovecraft was an absolute genius! I've been actively proselytizing his works ever since I first read him as a 14 year old.
And regarding your comments about the self-inflicted provincialism and buffoonery of the American mass mind - you couldn't be more chillingly accurate. America is the only country that prides itself upon simultaneously dumbing itself down to the lowest common denominator and then, in the same breath, boast about its inherent greatness. Historically, this phenomenon is nothing new. H.L. Menken was foaming and frothing at the maw about this very same problem 90 years ago. He would have had an apoplectic fit had he lived long enough to see how far backwards this country's educational values have slipped into the primordial mire.
So, it's incredibly refreshing to receive a note from someone like yourself who shares my values in this regard. Thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts with me.
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You had me at "proselytizing", and "apoplectic" was the icing on the cake. It's rare that I can flex the 'ol linguistic portions of my brain with a fellow sesquipedalian. Sadly, some of my peers/coworkers think I'm employing obtuse words for obfuscation (or to demonstrate my mental "superiority"), when the truth is that sometimes it's more fun to use the word "alacrity" rather than "fast/quickly", or "gregarious" over "friendly". If the fashion world can use "faux" over "fake" then I should be able to say "sardonic" over "sarcastic" without receiving a sidelong glance. It's annoyingly amusing that people can flaunt physical strength or their material wealth (and are largely encouraged to do so), but many people take undue offense at a little display of intellectualism. Granted, one can come off as condescending if the words (or attitude) are not appropriately measured, but more often than not I just get remarks "Why do you have to use big words?" as if I'm making life overly difficult.
At times it appears that we have embraced the Orwellian concept of newspeak as we whittle away "difficult" words and concepts. Instead of placing a premium on education, our focus is on entertainment. Rather than solving the mysteries of the world to better the species, most aspire to attain material wealth so they can sit around and do nothing. Attacks on intellectuals are nothing new, Socrates had to drink hemlock, The Library of Alexandria torched, the Chinese began and then ruthlessly ended the Hundred Flowers Campaign, and in the 60's Nixon ridiculed Adlai Stevenson as an "egghead"... and here I thought intellect was something we would want in a leader; I won't belabor the point as I know I'm preaching to the choir, but I want to leave you with this great little quote from Bradbury:
βYou don't have to burn books to destroy a culture, just get people to stop reading them.β
I'd go so far as to say that even though Lovecraft is a primarily entertaining author, his works are educational from the standpoint that any attentive reader can see what he has to "say" about pacing, the "beauty" of mystery and the bizarre, buildup of tension, the power of well placed (and well chosen) words/adjectives, and describing without giving too much away... I could go on, but you know what I'm talking about. And who doesn't love spooky cults built upon the adoration of a titanic cephalopod who has strange dark powers; and where would the Army of Darkness be without the Necronomicon?
It just makes me squirm a little that I can mention the names Hume, Descartes, or Leibniz and most of the time I get confused responses (and those guys are philosophical titans!) if any at all, but if I mention Spears, Hilton, or Cyrus I can be presented with an immediate and lengthy discourse on who they're dating/sleeping with. I can admit I was ignorant of Menken, but the difference between ignorance and stupidity is that one is a state alterable with a little work. It is only the willfully ignorant that draw my contempt.
But enough with the pessimistic vitriol, allow me to conclude this meeting of the Mutual Admiration Society with the admittance of having had the all too infrequent satisfaction that comes with the sharing and appreciation of interesting/relevant ideas. It was a refreshing little bout of correspondence for me as well, an intellectual oasis in a desert of "omfgzomg!!11!". But I imagine you already know much of what I talked about, so this letter mainly serves as a potential springboard for others who may come across it.
I'd also like to thank you as well for taking the time to respond, time is precious and I imagine you're a busy man. So despite how infrequent our communication may be in the future, I just want to let you know I appreciate your artistry and respect the sacrifice and dedication it takes to produce good work. So I will take no offense if you are unable to reply to this or other lengthy messages in the future as I would rather you be working on art rather than reading and replying to my posts.
Good luck and Godspeed sir!
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Hi Jon:
It's correspondence like this that makes my experience on the internet such a rare joy. Apologies for not responding earlier, but I had several emergencies that needed my ministrations. Now that those things are put to bed, I can now give your message the attention it deserves.
Ye Elder Gods! The situation in this country causes the words of Sigmund Freud ("America is a mistake, a giant mistake!") to ring in my head endlessly. The only thing for it is to stand and fight, and fight HARD. Face it: there's no place to run. We've Disney-fied and McDonald's-franchised the bloody planet thrice over. Our military bases are as ubiquitous as KFC outlets in foreign climes. Stand and fight for the cause of culture and intellect and secular rationalism. It's the only recourse left us. Otherwise, all is lost.
Another, more urgent reason I'm enjoying our burgeoning correspondence is the reassurance I receive from your messages. You're young. The baton will be passed one day soon from mine to your generation and I'd much prefer it in YOUR hands (and those of your kind) than some foul-mouthed, pierced muppet with the attention span of a horse fly and weened on an intellectually vacuous junkfood diet of Twitter and Fox News. I shudder at the depredations the future will bring . . . .
All that having been said, please feel free to contact me anytime at my e-mail address, CurtsArt@gmail.com. Until the next time we type at each other, take good care of yourself and stay in touch!
Best Wishes,
Curt Chiarelli
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Curt,
You are too kind. Although I cannot claim having had to apply myself to several urgent matters, I can however relate that my own life has multitudinous (if not mundane) trivialities that must be attended to. Between work, friends, and trawling DA for interesting art, I sometimes neglect to respond in a timely manner. It should by no means be interpreted as a slight so much as it is a testament to one of my character flaws.
Sigmeund Freud may not have been far from the mark and would likely have found an odd ally in Bill Hicks who once screamed that "The experiment failed! Please God, wash it all away!" It seems sad to realize that there never really were any "good 'ol days", but I think one can safely say that the current climate in which we live is rapidly deteriorating into a hedonistic free for all with a heavy emphasis on flash and style over substance. I'm game for some entertainment, life is too short for nothing but serious work and heavy thinking after all, but the fact that "reality" shows like "My Super Sweet 16" are as popular as they are give me serious pause (and the fact that a small girl will cry over being given the "wrong" luxury car for her birthday). Give me "Mega Structures" or "History's Mysteries" over that tripe any day.
It's sadly amusing that the downfall of Rome is so well documented but that many of our contemporaries seem blithely unaware of the similarities now plaguing our nation and the world at large. And those that do are called alarmist if they aren't completely marginalized. I guess everyone is too busy reading about Brangelina to listen to Steven Hawking expound upon why we need to seriously look into terraforming (or at least setting up habitable environs in space/on the moon) now. These technologies (though emergent) don't invent/refine themselves. IT's getting crowded on this little rock, and many resources may be renewable, but the earth's crust isn't manufacturing minerals at a breakneck speed. The fact that we are looking to mine the ocean floor, while a welcome indicator of our ingenuity as a species, also makes me wonder just how long we can live like locusts devouring anything of use (and wasting plenty while we're at it) and then moving onto the next source until that's depleted... wash, rinse, repeat. I fear that we may face a Malthusian collapse sooner than later, and the fact that our technology/weapons mature at an exponentially greater rate than our own maturity as a species is no small concern.
As for Fox News and their ilk, the fact that "The O'rielly Factor" is one of (if not the) highest rated news program is alarming to say the least. I can only hope that many of the viewers watch his show for the unintended comedic aspects of his extremist buffoonery (as if there weren't more significant things to worry about than "The War on Christmas" and the significance of "Happy Holidays" vs. "Merry Christmas" - honestly, this is news?) Granted, the issue hints at deeper cultural undertones at work in this country, but if we are going to be a people divided (or put out a program that encourages division), than perhaps the issue should be one of some larger significance where our position for or against something has actual repercussions other than cultural elitism. Our founding fathers were wise enough to allow freedom of (or even from) religion, but the O'riellys and the Fallwells of the world won't seem to rest until we've purged all things "other".
Well, my tangential rambling has reached a fever pitch, but I will leave you with a sincere thanks. Your words are reassuring, most times I voice strong opinions against what I see to be the decay and abject indifference of our society to the deterioration of our more admirable qualities I am met with incredulous looks or dismissive huffs. After all, "what can one man know that society doesn't, how can one person say what is wrong about the way we live and rock the boat when we'ew all having such vapid fun? What will it matter if these things happen if we're dead by then?" I don't necessarily pick fights, but I don't remain silent when I think something foul is afoot, especially if our collective course can be changed for the better.
Things will improve, the question is whether we save the majority of humanity, or if we have to rebuild with what is left. It could be 75 years from now, or it could be 300 years from now (sadly, it's possible in less than 20 perhaps); I have hope that humanity will recognize when we approach the point of no return, but I feel we are quickly rushing to the edge of a cliff.
Despite the somber tone of these letters, I feel that these ideas are very much in need of being discussed seriously, especially in a larger public format. It's unfortunate that the diffusion of responsibility often falls to our political overlords, who themselves aren't overly versed in areas which need an almost expert opinion, and the "experts" are unfortunately bought and paid for by special interests. There are a few noble men out there, but Washington has more than it's fare share of Maleagants running around.
I am not the most prolific writer of electronic communiques, but I will return the favor of proffering my digital mailbox. I can be reached at "broken.art.attack@gmail.com" should you ever need to contact me if I am unavailable here, and I will be sure to save your address as well. You take care as well; spread Lovecraft when you can, fight ignorance as only you know how, and above all keep creating masterful art.
Sincerely,
Jon Ford
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Creepy...so close to what I imagined them to be...creepy and fish-like, but obviously of human origin.
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Thanks for the compliment! It's always great to meet other HPL devotees! Take care.
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you are welcome!
you too!
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