“People ask me who my favourite artist is, to work with. I've worked with world-class artists, after all, heaps of them. World class people. And when they ask me about my favourite, I say Dave McKean. And then people ask why. I say, because he surprises me.” — Neil Gaiman.
Indeed, Dave McKean, an artist’s artist, has been surprising
his peers and legions of fans for a quarter of a century. Fiercely original,
McKean brings something new, something unexpected to every undertaking. Case in
point, McKean’s portrait of the Bride of Frankenstein.
Universal’s Frankenstein Monster and The Bride are
extraordinary characters who have inspired countless artists and yielded
excellent illustrations, often adroit and technically proficient but often so
close to their photograph models as to be essentially painted versions of a
movie still. Here, McKean has used photo references, but he breaks away on
execution, bringing something wholly personal and profoundly revealing,
capturing The Bride’s wildness and the astonishment that characterized her
short and apocalyptic cinematic life. It is a stunning illustration, one of the
best ever of The Bride.
Dave McKean is well known for his outstanding work as
graphic novel writer and artist, and his illustration work, notably his
celebrated covers for Gaiman’s Sandman
series (1989-1996). In his Renaissance-man career, McKean has designed and
illustrated posters, CD packaging, book covers and book illustrations. He is
also a photographer, a musician and a filmmaker. McKean’s early computer work
combining illustration, graphics, photography and sculpture was massively
influential and still echoes today. Meanwhile, Mr. McKean has moved on, and beyond, still surprising us.
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