Edward Gorey was born February 22, 1925 in Chicago, Illinois. He would begin to draw at two years old and that was the spark for his passion of art. He was known as a child prodigy, skipping years of school and eventually graduated at 17. Edward had been in a few newspaper publications, art shows, etc. during his time in school.
A graduate from Harvard, Gorey became a freelance illustrator in the mid-1960s. He wrote over 100 books in his life-long career. He exhibited his work at shows, but he showed his work at the “Gotham Book Mart”. They would occasionally publish his work, which he showed for 32 years and helped him get publications with others like Samuel Beckett and John Updike. Edward also wrote off-broadway plays for small theaters.
In his later years, he worked with Printmaking. With this medium, he printed unique pieces and working with Emily Trevor, a printmaker from Massachusetts. Gorey lived in Cape Cod and used his skills to work with locals. He passed away on April 15, 2000.
His books are often speculated upon, due to the “darker” style of artwork. One in particular is The Gashlycrumb Tinies, written in 1963. This book pictures 26 children and their deaths, which is unique and dark. It has a Tim Burton mood to it, who was inspired by Gorey, which can be seen at the base of Tim Burton’s work.
This book follows the Alphabet, using a name of a child to represent each letter. The line work is impeccable. Gorey uses the line work excellently to create a haunting mood which follows the theme of the book. Although very somber, the artwork is commendable.
I recommend looking at his prints, they are very intriguing.
Featured Image: http://bkknews.org/superb-oddities-robert-gottlieb-reviews-a-biography-of-edward-gorey/
http://www.edwardgoreyhouse.org/
Image: https://goreystore.com/products/edward-gorey-l-is-for-leo-who-swallowed-some-tacks-square-magnet
Image :https://goreystore.com/products/edward-gorey-k-is-for-kate-who-was-struck-with-an-ax-square-magnet