Creatures of Consequence: Why We Create Monsters
Why have hybrid creatures haunted our imagination for thousands of years? From the fantastical beings of Hieronymus Bosch to the unsettling creations of contemporary artists, monsters have long reflected our deepest fears, desires and anxieties.
In this richly illustrated talk, artist Lindsay Pickett explores the enduring fascination with hybrid beings in art, mythology and the human imagination. Drawing on the work of artists including Bosch, Salvador Dalí, Francis Bacon, Patricia Piccinini and his own series of dark surreal paintings, Creatures of Consequence, he examines how imagined creatures can become powerful symbols of identity, transformation, environmental change and the subconscious.
Blending art history, psychology, mythology and contemporary painting, this talk asks why we continue to invent monsters—and what these extraordinary beings reveal about ourselves.
The lecture will be followed by an audience Q&A.
3. A question for the audience:
“If every age creates the monsters it needs, what kinds of creatures are we creating today—and what do they say about us?”
Image: Stay Away, Medium: Oil on linen, Size: 80x45cm
Speaker Bio:
Lindsay Pickett is a London-based painter, educator and founder of Dreamscapes, a collective celebrating contemporary surrealism. He completed an MA in Fine Art (Painting) at City & Guilds of London Art School in 2021 and has exhibited widely in the UK and internationally. His paintings explore psychological and ecological themes through dark surreal hybrid creatures, drawing inspiration from artists including Hieronymus Bosch, Salvador Dalí and Francis Bacon. Alongside his studio practice, he teaches drawing and painting at several London adult education institutions. Through his work and public talks, Lindsay explores the enduring fascination with hybrid beings, mythology, the subconscious and humanity’s relationship with the natural world
Hosted & Curated by
Lena Schattenherz Heide-Brennand is a Norwegian lecturer with a master degree in language, culture and literature from the University of Oslo and Linnaeus University. She has been lecturing and teaching various subjects since 1998. Her field of interest and main focus has always been topics that others have considered strange, eccentric and eerie, and she has specialised in a variety of dark subjects linked to folklore, mythology and Victorian traditions and medicine. Her students often point out her thorough knowledge about the subjects she is teaching, in addition to her charismatic appearance. She refers to herself as a performance lecturer and always gives her audience an outstanding experience, Lena’s New Book – Mythical Creatures in Scandinavian Folklore is now available on Amazon
don’t worry if you miss it – we will send you a recording valid for two weeks the next day
