Acknowledgements
Abstract
Figure List
Introduction
Chapter One- Curatorial Thesis
Fears
Religion
Housing
Illness
Vampires
The Uncanny
Venue Location
Chapter Two – Curatorial Choices
Fears
Religion
Housing
Illness
Vampires
The Uncanny
Chapter Three- Curatorial Influences
Chapter Four – Other Influences
Bibliography
I’d like to thank all my friends who kept me sane during long nights in the library.Amassive thank you to Ieva for going above and beyond to help me and for all the pep talks. To my Advisor Helen Gorrill, thank you for taking me on so last minute and dealing with my rambling.
Finally, I thank David Lynch for inspiring me to find joy in the weirdness of life and everyone else with strange and unusual interests; never let them die.
All third-party material reproduced in this dissertation is used under the UK’s fair dealing provisions for the purposes of criticism, review, or educational use. Any rights holders not acknowledged are invited to contact the author.
Abstract
This dissertation proposes a gothic exhibition titled “Growing the Grotesque”, held within Doune Castle, Stirlingshire, showing ten artworks spanning across the previous one hundred and fifty years that contain Gothic themes stemming from common fears. Five common fears have been selected and analysed to explore their significance historically and in relation their contemporary relevance. The range of works shown are carefully selected to represent various mediums and break down the idea that to be considered gothic the subject must conform to conventional or stereotypical visual aesthetics. The exhibition aims to explore how these artworks are intrinsically connected due to their core themes by partnering one older artwork and one contemporary piece stemming from the same original fear despite their visual differences.
Figure 1:Achille-Fould, G. (1904) Madame Satan Seduction [Oil Painting]. Copyright © Artepics/Alamy
Figure 2: Limmen, N. (2020) Unholy Matrimony [Photograph].Available at: https://nonalimmen.com/portfolio/archetypes/ (Accessed: 9 December 2024). Copyright © Nona Limmen
Figure 3: Model 1 (2025) [Photograph]
Figure 4: Grimshaw, J.A. (1878) At the Park Gate [Oil Painting]. Image source: Wikimedia. Public Domain
Figure 5: McKenzie, J. (1967) Progress - Hawkhill, Dundee [Gelatin Silver Print].Available at: https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/10480 (Accessed: 5 January 2025).
Copyright © The Joseph McKenzieArchive
Figure 6: Model 2 (2025) [Photograph]
Figure 7: Model 3 [Photograph]
Figure 8: Cooper, R.T. (1912) A Ghostly Skeleton Trying to Strangle a Sick Child; Representing Diphtheria [Watercolour].Available at: https://wellcomecollection.org/works/mff3hsaw/items (Accessed: 13 January 2025).
Copyright © Wellcome Collection
Figure 9: Gofstein, S. (2003) Another Year [Mixed Media].Available at: https://www.susangofstein.com/resonance (Accessed: 5 January 2025). Copyright © Susan Gofstein
Figure 10: Model 4 (2025) [Photograph]
Figure 11: Model 5 (20250 [Photograph]
Figure 12: Model 6 (2025) [Photograph]
Figure 13: Film still from Nosferatu. (1922) [Film]AikmanArchive. Public Domain
Figure 14: Twilight [Film] (2008). Summit Entertainment. Copyright © Summit Entertainment
Figure 15: Model 7 (2025) [Photograph]
Figure 16: Model 8 (2025) [Photograph]
Figure 17: Bellmer, H. (1935) La Poupee [Gelatin Silver Print].Available at: https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/objects/la-poup%C3%A9e-6 (Accessed: 20 January 2025). Copyright © 1974 – 2025 International Centre of Photography
Figure 18: Friðriksdóttir, G. (2005) Tetralogia North, Gabríela Friðriksdóttir.Available at: https://www.gabriela.is/films.html (Accessed: 8 January 2025). Copyright © Gabriela Fridriksdottir
Figure 19: Model 9 (2025) [Photograph]
Figure 20: Model 10 (2025) [Photograph]
Figure 21: Model 11 (2025) [Photograph]
Introduction
This exhibition proposal emphasizes the importance of fears as the core of gothic art, which has consistently kept fascination with haunting surreal pieces relevant within the art world Focusing on five principle fears presented in ten artworks spanning the past one hundred and fifty years, ‘Growing the Grotesque’analyses their cultural significance throughout history and the underlying connections to their thematic contemporary counterparts, highlighting how fears have grown and adapted to the modern age.
Humanity has always been quietly fascinated by the macabre Greek tragedies describing myths and murder date back hundreds of years, while contemporary audiences conjure the thrills of a horror film at the touch of a button through streaming services. Both contain similar recurring themes and fears, but they are not always apparent due to various societal changes our perception of fear.
“Gothic artifices embody apprehensions reflective of the treacherous adventure biological life is involved in moment by moment.” (Morgan,2002, p. 41)
While opinions around fears grow and change with the times to adapt to modern concerns, this transformation is reflected in their visual representations. Gothic literature and art continue to be used as a coping mechanism to acknowledge our fears, allowing us to face them without the risk of physical danger (Tropp, 2000) As accessibility to cinema increased in the twentieth century, it became much easier for those attracted to the gothic to refine their
interests by creating subcultures and online exhibitions, which was amplified by the birth of the internet in providing spaces for these communities to develop and flourish The definition of ‘gothic’shifted from a literary genre to a curated way of living, influenced by specific music, clothing and principles and subsequently altered what became associated with the term in a contemporary setting (Tilley, 2007). This additional characterisation meant that artworks that did not conform to the new curated gothic ‘aesthetic’were commonly overlooked and not associated with the genre despite their innate traditional gothic themes This exhibition aims to draw the viewer's attention to artworks that may not outwardly be associated with the Gothic due to preconceived ideas about the movement's aesthetic.
Throughout history, underlying fears have been visualised in artwork due to a subconscious wish to face what scares us in a much more manageable way. The inclusion of these fears in artworks is an identifier of their gothic undertones (Tropp, 2000, p. 4) This draws focus towards darker aspects of life that are not typically openly represented. The feelings of dread, unease and morbid curiosity can be traced back to their origins in the experiences humans have grown to fear.
This proposal further examines why we are fascinated with the feeling of fear and why this is an integral factor to consider when analysing dark art. The five core fears selected for the exhibition are religion, housing, illness, vampires and the uncanny. These will be explored further by comparing an older and newer example for each theme to establish their importance in a historical context before outlining the social and societal changes that impacted how these fears are portrayed today.Additionally, the significance of the venue, Doune Castle in Stirlingshire, and its selection as an unconventional gallery space to enhance the gothic atmosphere of the exhibition will be probed. The benefits of hosting within a historical building with consideration of the potential shortcomings of using a heritage site will be compared
The central themes concerning the nominated artworks aim to demonstrate the link between their respective fears and the relevance of the specific works. These pieces are comprised of four paintings, three photographs, two film excerpts and a video piece. The primary audience will be identified, in addition to a secondary audience and the benefits both groups can gain from the show as an outsider of the genre or an individual with a previously established interest in the topic.
Furthermore, similar exhibitions and their influence on curatorial ideas for the display will be evaluated in relation to discussions surrounding methods of displaying artwork and installation, and the importance of diverting from the traditional white cube gallery to accentuate the unusual theme.An essential factor for consideration regarding this proposal is the decision to display older artworks side by side with contemporary pieces, subverting traditional gallery layout expectations by separating pieces by theme rather than movement or time period.
Additional influences that informed the curation of ‘Growing the Grotesque’include the connection between gothic subculture and gothic art, the rise in popularity of horror films and the shift in social perceptions of vampires- a concept which formed as inspiration for the premise of the exhibition- will also be discussed in detail to further emphasise the importance and cultural significance of ‘Growing the Grotesque’as unconventional art show that forces the audience to confront their deep-rooted fears.
This proposed exhibition aims to draw attention to thematic parallels in artworks by juxtaposing pieces from the turn of the twentieth century with contemporary works that address the same fears. It intends to force the viewer to find visual connections between seemingly unrelated works and consider how our fear, at its core, has not changed, but the manner in which an artist chooses to integrate them into their work has. Creative expression, such as writing and painting, has always been used to mirror the human condition. This allows the audience to gain a better understanding of what it means to be alive. Unusual artworks on topics one would not typically seek out due to their uncomfortable roots in reality can aid the viewer in processing bigger philosophical questions that have no simple answer (Elizabeth, 2022, p. 185). While not able to provide definitive proof that all will be well, art can be used as a vessel to show the audience they aren’t alone. The writer James Baldwin stated:
“You read something which you only thought happened to you, and you discover that it happened 100 years ago to Dostoyevsky. This is a great liberation for the suffering, struggling person, who always thinks that he is alone. This is why art is so important.Art would not be important if life were not important, and life is important” (Baldwin and Standley, 1996)
Showcasing new and old artwork side by side creates a connection between both pieces and the audience, forming a journey for the viewer to traverse from the past to the present moment visually. This encourages them to consider how the fears shown within the artwork will continue to adapt to fit future anxieties.
Clear visual comparison can foster a sense of belonging and connectedness with the experiences of the past and to fellow viewers by confirming that no struggle is suffered alone. However, the notion that these anxieties have persisted through time can be viewed negatively, as an unending battle humanity faces with no solution. Conversely, it is hoped that viewers find comfort and solace in knowing time and time again that humans have endured and overcome many struggles- a selection of which will be highlighted in this exhibition.
“Growing The Grotesque” will be displayed in the Great Hall of Doune Castle, which measures twenty by eight meters.As Gothic art has an extensive history, it cannot be encompassed thoroughly through such a limited amount of physical space, therefor for practicality and ease of understanding for the viewer, the older artworks must be from a similar time period.Additionally, as the fears addressed adapted to different time periods due to changes in social customs and economic settings, which in turn informed the artist's intentions behind creating their artworks, they cannot be adequately compared if not from an era with similar laws, living conditions and beliefs. Subsequently, the five older examples will be spanning the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century to ensure the works have similar contextual backgrounds. The accelerated industrial growth witnessed at the end of the Victorian era created feelings of unease as the public was forced to adapt to this rapid change, abandoning the familiarity and safety they had come to expect from decades of social monotony (Tropp, 2000). These factors parallel the climate of the twenty-first century as technological advances, political unrest, and climate change cast a spell of uncertainty over what the future holds. Therefore, the two time periods selected can be adequately compared
due to their similar circumstances, allowing the viewer to easily sympathise with the environments surrounding all artworks.
Fear has always been used to entertain, originating as spoken word stories of folklore and spirits (Warner, 2000). It can be argued that creative portrayals of fear predate these tales and could be interpreted in early cave drawings showing the tense relationship between hunters and animals (Ghosh, 2024). It is apparent that depictions of fear remain an important avenue to explore artistically, with no sign of this trend ceasing in the future. In ‘TheArt of Darkness’Sarah Elizabeth agrees:
“Without a doubt, there is a voyeuristic impulse towards gazing upon these horrors, and artists throughout history have exploited our gruesome interest in misdeeds” (Elizabeth, 2022, p. 88)
The central fears selected for the exhibition include anxieties regarding housing, illness, the uncanny, religion and traditional gothic character archetypes, specifically focusing on the role of a vampire. To understand the application of these fears in the modern day, their origins must be understood before analysing how they grew over time and are interpreted today.
The Gothic is intrinsically connected with the old religions. In modern gothic subcultures, motifs and symbolism from early medieval Christianity and Paganism are adapted to create a unified visual aesthetic through pentagrams, crosses, plants and the symbolism of precious stones and colours (Robbins and Greenaway, 2016). Given the overlap in themes, the two are often thematically connected. The significance of Wiccan practices' repeated representation in
dark art is due to the departure from conventional Christian values that modern believers have become familiar with. Worshipping the natural world and forest-bound deities is not common in the more widely practised religions of today and is viewed as an archaic return to a time before civilisation and Law. The death of the Greek god Pan, a chaotic goat-like creature often referenced in pagan religion, was said to symbolise the change from old religion to modern Christianity, where Gods and Saints became core idols as opposed to deities and demonic spirits (Luckhurst, 2021) The role of demons and Satan in Christianity further cemented Paganism as archaic and dark as it directly praised the figures Christians were taught were evil.
Due to institutional changes in government, schools and laws, heavy reliance on religion in society is less prevalent than it was one hundred years ago. The separation of church and state has allowed for more religious freedom for faiths other than Christianity and opened space for queer communities and women to thrive outside of a strict church-controlled state. For instance, women were permitted to enter life drawing classes in 1893 after twenty years of petitioning (Bluett, 2015), whereas art schools today are comprised mostly of female students, with studies showing approximately seventy per cent of art students are women (Sieghart, 2022) Considering the steep rise in accessibility for women in the arts, it can be concluded that this progressive shift was due to a departure from old-fashioned rules set in place during times of religious oppression.
In Britain, living conditions are constantly changing, with factors such as job scarcity, economic crises and housing stability playing a vital role in where residents are located. Before the Industrial Revolution, it was more common to live in a village as the concept of
permanent residency in a large city instilled fear of crime and illness (Hall and Barrett, 2018), making this undesirable to the wealthy who could afford larger staffed houses.As job opportunities migrated into factories in cities, poorer citizens were forced to move away from their rural homes to seek work, causing a dynamic shift in where the populous was stationed. Mass abandonment of villages led to outer city dwellings becoming rundown or abandoned, seemingly haunted by the ghosts of the past, indicating their outdated place in the modern world (Luckhurst, 2021). This radical change from the poor living in small villages in the countryside to mass upheaval into cities now meant the majority of the population lived in cities, moulding current fears around what is considered scary to be that of distant abandoned houses and uncertainty around who once resided there, hence the rise in haunted house stories in the Victorian Era. Places unfamiliar to us instil fear, even when these places were once familiar in recent history. Representations of abandoned houses make us face the threat of change and instability, serving as a reminder that change is never-ending and nothing remains the same forever.
Sickness has always been a threat to humans, although it may appear a less imminent threat to life in the modern day as medical advances and research continually improve quality of life by prescribing numerous antibiotics, painkillers and other life-saving medications to prevent the spread of diseases that once proved fatal. One hundred years ago, the risk of disease was an ongoing concern, not limited to the immunocompromised or the elderly- an illness could strike anyone at any time and have dire consequences. For example, the widespread development of vaccines has almost entirely eradicated several fatal diseases, such as polio
and smallpox (Adam, 2023). Consequently, the contemporary person has a much lower risk of becoming gravely ill when compared to the average Victorian.
“Death is an inherent and imminent part of life and, despite humanity’s prodigious advancements, we still don’t boast the science for immortality” (Elizabeth, 2022, p. 106)
Death has become a distant worry to face later in life; as we grow older, the metaphorical invincibility afforded by youth and its minor ailments gives way to chronic pain and ageing bodies as our mortality catches up to us. Hence, when facing a premature death- a concept which has grown foreign to us given our increased life expectancies- we panic. Dying young is not common in the Western world; most people are not equipped to think about their mortality when they are not expecting to. This also causes fears of hospitals as they are less associated with being places of healing but rather a place for the gravely ill, a notion which is reflected in modern artworks depicting menacing doctors and complicated procedures.
Various character archetypes exist in gothic media, each with its own metaphors and distinct appearances to define them; arguably, the most recognisable of these is the Vampire. Beasts of the night who feast on blood and prey on women have been described for centuries, the most popular of which is Bram Stoker's “Dracula” (1897), which has had countless adaptations and direct influence on other vampiric media.Almost all modern vampire films are heavily influenced by the literature of Bram Stoker and have, in turn, influenced traditional art of vampires The structure in which the novel was written used fragmented testimonials, creating an air of mystery as the story would not unfold chronologically, allowing the reader to speculate the plot as it unfolded (Luckhurst, 2021). This method of
storytelling influences horror, thriller and mystery cinema and literature: the allure of gothic media comes alongside the investigative work of discovering the ‘big secret’of the story- in this case, the discovery of the vampire's true nature- and the satisfaction that comes from solving the mystery as an audience.
The Uncanny refers to the uneasy feeling created when observing a subject once deemed safe and familiar that now exists in a space between the known and the unknown. Developed by Sigmund Freud in his 1919 essay “Das Unheimliche”, this phenomenon addresses how our perception of a situation or object we think we should understand can change drastically when faced with slight, indistinguishable change. The lack of ability to pinpoint the source of this eerie difference instils dread and fear into the viewer, accentuating their fear of the unknown. The uncanny became a popular term as time progressed, adjusting to the modern day. With the increasing use of humanoid animatronics and accounts of cryptids online, it became easier to visually identify the uncanny. This led to more specific applications of the term- the uncanny valley refers to the scale at which a robot or humanoid object resembles a human and the corresponding feelings of empathy felt towards the subject.
“When the likeness nears total accuracy, affinity drops dramatically and is replaced by a feeling of eeriness or uncanniness” (Kendall, 2022)
The uncanny therefore features heavily in surrealist art that distorts representations of humans with direct intentions to instill fear in the audience.
Venue Location
The selection of venue for ‘Growing the Grotesque’was driven by a desire to fully engulf the audience in a gothic setting to create a memorable and meaningful experience While an exhibition space's primary focus is to display artwork effectively, the venue itself can play a pivotal role in how the viewer interacts with the art (Sukharev, 2023).Acastle built in the medieval period before falling into partial ruin is an ideal location for exploring the evolving depictions of fear The MiddleAges are commonly associated with widespread uncertainty, illness and death. Castles originating from this era remain a reminder of the past and their corresponding fears. Their commanding structures and shadowed interiors provoke a feeling of dread and unease. Doune Castle, as a venue, serves to unify Gothic architecture with the Gothic pieces presented within. Subsequently, this evokes further the haunting feeling desired which will immerse the audience in an eerie environment while also aiding the viewer in connecting the themes of the artworks. Furthermore, using a castle as a venue aligned with the exhibition aims to encourage viewers to reflect on the passage of time (Crisman, 2007). The interior of the castle has two full rooms and several fragments where rooms once stood. Of the two remaining rooms, the Great Hall has rough brick walls that mimic the brick exterior; this aligns seamlessly with the thematic exploration of fear, which will be displayed throughout this room. The imperfections and sense of decay mirror the dread and anxieties central to the medieval period, which heavily influenced Victorian Gothic art (Luckhurst, 2021). The brick exhibition room seeks to enhance the themes of the artwork through the weathered textures and reflects the lingering historical sense of unease associated with the medieval time period Exhibitions spaces trend towards minimalism, removing elements deemed unnecessary or detrimental to showing art effectively; pristine white walls, cleanliness and any economic or social neglect which has once been associated with a building are “deliberately forgotten” (Crisman, 2007; Filipovic, 2005) in order to focus the spectator's attention on the artwork and create a uniformed background. Keeping the interior
in its original form creates a more fitting atmosphere for the topic of choice; as mentioned previously, the venue can aid a deeper understanding for the viewer (Sukharev, 2023) For the audience to truly resonate with the artwork as intended, the setting must submerge the viewer in a sea of unease in order to fully experience a connection with the works and themes presented.
Avital factor when considering the location of a venue is the convenience of the venue location and the accessibility (Abou-Shouk et al., 2017). The selection of the venue was partly due to the favourable location in Central Scotland, thereby offering accessibility to those travelling from various locations across the country The village of Doune lies on the outskirts of Stirling and is easily accessible by car or bus. It is a popular tourist location- tour busses allow visitors to travel directly to the castle, avoiding the congestion typically found in the city centre. Furthermore, Stirling as a city stood out for this particular exhibition due to its significant role as the International Centre for Gothic Studies and home of several contributors to the journal “Gothic Studies” (International Centre for Gothic Studies, no date), directly correlating with the subject matter for the exhibition. Therefore, when considering the ties between context and location, Doune Castle served as a natural choice for ‘Growing the Grotesque’and would further contribute to the city's gothic studies.
The exhibition will include 10 artworks from the past 150 years, comparing one historical artwork and one contemporary piece for each of the five core fears to show a clear thematic connection between older and newer gothic works.
“Madame Satan Seduction” (1904) by GeorgesAchille-Fould has been selected as the older example of religious fears This portrait was chosen due to its depiction of Satan as an alluring, smiling woman to represent the dark temptations of the occult. During a time when religion, particularly Christianity, was deeply integrated into society, fears surrounding hell and the afterlife were heavily influenced by the church.
This painting directly contrasted common portrayals of Satan, typically described in religious stories as a towering horned beast, the corrupt fallen angel; always a masculine figure.
Subsequently, depicting Satan as a woman could be viewed as a bold retelling of a biblical story, or interpreted as the subject being Satan’s wife.As not much information remains about GeorgesAchille-Fould or her intentions behind this painting, it is up to the viewer to create her story- one which has evolved with societal shifts away from reliance on religion along
with the growth of women's rights, both of which impacted the visual connections audiences make with the piece
Contemporary photographer Nona Limmen uses the occult as the subject of her gothic photography. Her photos depict witchcraft, gloomy churches, haunted forests and stereotypical gothic iconography, which makes her an ideal artist to include in this exhibition. Limmen portrays witches in various stages of ritual, in this occasion, physically dancing with the devil.
This photograph is taken from a larger series called “Unholy Matrimony”. There were several different shots from this series conveying the movement of the dance, with different colour variations showing the purple haze of twilight. This shot was selected for several reasons; embracing the looming figure of Satan draws a direct parallel to the previous artwork, implying that this, too, could be Satan's wife. The intertwined hands and warm, loving gaze
into the devil's eyes show her adoration for a figure commonly associated with evil and destruction- she is happy to be with him. The black-and-white image and dark, nondescript clothing create a sense of timelessness, providing no distinguishable markers of a time period within the image. This further establishes the longevity of religious traditions and how deeprooted their accompanying fears are.
In his painting “At the Park Gate” (1878), Victorian artist JohnAtkinson Grimshaw showcased his talents in depicting atmospheric, moonlit night scenes utilising high contrast between deep shadows and glowing light, which casts an aching sense of melancholy through the lone individual standing on the road The figure's isolation, alongside the lifeless tree branches framing the house that sits waiting for the visitor, enshrouded in fog, creates an eerie atmosphere encapsulating gothic themes of seclusion, the dark and the unknown. The warm glow in the windows shows that the residence is still in use, implying that the widespread move away from larger country estates into cities has not become commonplace yet. This painting shows that at this point in time, living in a sizable house was a familiar concept and was sought after as the ideal living situation, displaying wealth and comfort while avoiding the illness and crime one would be exposed to if living in a city (Hall and Barrett, 2018).
5
While visually similar to the previous piece portraying a house shadowed by a towering tree, Joseph McKenzie’s “Progress- Hawkhill, Dundee” captures a building in a state of disrepair. Industries grew and evolved as people migrated to cities for work, attracting larger quantities of workers travelling or moving closer to their jobs within the city (Luckhurst, 2021). To keep the economy growing, better infrastructure and housing was essential. In Dundee, Hawkhill served as the main road through the city before the extension of Perth Road, making it a longer, more practical route through the city (Leisure and Culture Dundee, 2020). This development led to less reliance on Hawkhill as an essential road, causing the area to fall into disrepair as residents moved to newer accommodations before many of these abandoned homes were demolished (National Galleries, 2015).
This image conveys the rapid growth of industry in the previous one hundred years, documenting that even when in the city, where job opportunities and positive change are centred, communities experience neglect and change at a rapid pace. The choice to include abandoned ruins within a city aims to show the uncertainty of changing times and how quickly things once considered safe and familiar can fall to ruin. Following the housing market crash, Brexit and a pandemic, the future feels more frightening than ever, a notion which is reflected in our surroundings.
Richard Tennant Cooper (1885-1957) was commissioned several times to draw attention to various illnesses in 1912 by Henry Wellcome, including the above piece “A Ghostly Skeleton Trying to Strangle a Sick Child; Representing Diphtheria” (Wellcome Collection, 2025). This is another example of a potentially fatal illness that has been eradicated due to vaccines (Adam, 2023). One hundred years ago, catching a mere sore throat could develop into a death sentence. The risk of falling gravely ill at any given moment was a prescient threat that highlighted the fragility of life, depicted here as the embodiment of death suffocating a childa stark illustration of the physical symptoms. The artwork itself is small when compared to
others on display in the exhibition to signify the debilitation of illness and its ability to make patients feel fragile and weak.
“Another Year” by Susan Gofstein (2003) is a mixed media piece painted over an MRI scan. One of fifteen works made by the artist from her series “Resonance”, Gofsteins work chronicles her fight for a diagnosis and her battles with chronic facial pain, highlighted in the details on the skull in the above piece (Elizabeth, 2022) Both Gofstein and Cooper selected skeletal manifestations of pain to relate to mortality in a direct manner, creating a visual link between the two pieces. This piece serves as a stark reminder that everybody dies eventually, whether it’s a drawn-out, painful death full of hospitalisations or a quick and violent bout of illness. With medical advances prolonging life expectancies, the slow crawl towards death
can be painful for some, who would rather face death than continue to live in worsening agony
13
“Nosferatu: A Symohony of Horror” (Murnau, 1922) is an infamous unsanctioned adaptation of Dracula and was one of the first vampire films ever made. The character design of Count Orlock remains unique when compared to his modern successors: his role as the monster of the film was enhanced by his unique, identifiable appearance that clearly labelled him as an outsider. Originally, vampirism and its spread of death and destruction symbolised plagues Jack Morgan states:
"Plagues and their accompanying quarantines are archetypal evokes of the social anxiety element of horror, as they situate the undermining of civilised institutions, the wasting away of social constraint, custom and cohesion" (Morgan, 2002, p 52-53)
“Nosferatu” (1922) was released less than a decade after the outbreak of Spanish Influenza that ravished Europe, and its most recent remake by Robert Eggers in 2024 closely followed
the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting health anxieties and injecting a sense of the supernatural into recent memories of forced quarantines and mass death.
14
The role of a vampire in “Twilight” (Hardwicke, 2008) however, is one of enticing lust.
Adapted from a novel of the same name, the Mormon author Stephenie Meyer was heavily influenced by theAmerican rock band My Chemical Romance and the frontman is rumoured to be the inspiration for the character of Edward Cullen (Valby, 2009). This character operated as an outlet to confront and attempt to control her desire without infringing upon her religious beliefs. While not the first to depict vampires as teenage heartthrobs, “Twilight” brought this idea to mainstream audiences and altered the contemporary perception of how a vampire should appear.As the film is primarily a YoungAdult Romance, one scene has been selected for the exhibition It mimics the format of nonlinear discovery of the vampire's true form, showing the main character, Bella, undertaking research to confirm her suspicions of Edwards's true nature, intertwined with flashing images of historical depictions of vampiresincluding Nosferatu- as well as visions of the main character succumbing to the vampires
craving for blood. The soft lighting and body language of the characters have clear sexual overtones, which directly contrasts the feelings of invasion and disgust evoked in a similar scene in “Nosferatu” (1922).
Hans Bellmer was a German surrealist photographer who had a fascination with dolls. “La Poupee” (1935) uses various doll parts to distort the human figure, imitating someone both hanging upside down and hanging from the arms. The use of legs on both sides is uncanny when following the body from the feet to the torso, and the shock of not being greeted by arms and a head.
“Tetralogia North” (2005) is a video piece by Gabriella Fridriksdottir. She evokes the uncanny through uneasy sound and movement, with the character jerking, gurgling and screeching as they move. The main figure is oozing and dripping, collecting hay as it writhes in a barn. The artist uses bread dough to suggest an unusual skin texture that audiences cannot help but fear by draping the entire body in it.As audiences, we know that it is most likely not the real skin of the creature, but without the additional knowledge from the artist, viewers are left wondering in disgust.
This exhibition has two key influences regarding the curatorial concept for ‘Growing the Grotesque’. The first of which is the Royal Museum of FineArtsAntwerp’s exhibition
“What's the Story?”, a two-part show addressing artistic themes across time and the way in which artists retell these stories throughout the centuries. Part one of the exhibition, which took place from August to November 2024, collated artworks featuring themes of “Space, Time and Power” (KMSKA, 2024), before part two, running from November 2024 to February 2025, deals with themes of “Life and Death, Seduction and Storytelling” (KMSKA, 2025) This exhibition was curated by Nico Van Hout and Erno Vroonen Hout is the Head of collection research at the Royal Museum of FineArtsAntwerp, where his knowledge of the gallery's holdings played a crucial part in discovering thematic similarities in the works selected for the show (CODART, 2024).As a conservator, Hout specialises in older artworks, leading to the inclusion of guest curator Vroonen, who has worked as an independent curatorial advisor for several European galleries since the late 1980s (Vroonen, 2024), focusing on featuring rising contemporary artists. Their combined knowledge of past and present artworks was crucial in executing the concept effectively, ensuring the pieces selected were visually different while thematically similar and could be understood by their audience.
Equally important to the curatorial idea of combining old and new artworks in one space was the collector and curator David Walsh. Known predominantly for his private museum in Tasmania, Walsh founded ‘The Museum of Old and NewArt (MONA)’in 2011. The venue is difficult to travel to, with the most common means of transport being a direct ferry, but these accessibility issues are negated by the unique museum experience offered on arrival. Walsh was directly inspired by French curator Jean Hubert Martins and his show at the Venice
Biennale in 2007, “Artempo”. Martins’disregard for conventional white walls and chronological timeline inspired the curatorial approach of MONA (Rawlins and Walsh, 2010). TheAustralian museum does not conform to traditional rules and displays items from history alongside artworks from a multitude of movements, subverting expectations of an artistic timeline and forcing the audience to seek out thematic similarities to deduce what relates the items on display (Hill, 2013)
Arranging an exhibition spanning different time periods by theme rather than age is not common practice, with the vast majority of large galleries opting to assign rooms to art movements or eras to create a chronological flow through the gallery. Smaller spaces with curated shows often only include a limited number of artists as a retrospective or to platform up-and-coming names in the contemporary art scene. ‘Growing the Grotesque’aims to subvert these expectations by intentionally disregarding conventional gallery spaces and layouts.
The selection of the great hall in Doune Castle, with its rough, uneven stone walls and large deep-set windows, is strikingly different when compared to the white cube setting of standard galleries, which aim to detach art from its surroundings or any external factors that may influence your experience in the gallery (Filipovic, 2005). The aim of using the Great Hall is to give the artwork even more thematic context, using natural lighting from windows to ground you in reality and the brickwork to transport you to an ancient time, as gothic art has its roots in medieval art (Luckhurst, 2021) Other castles used as exhibition spaces, for example, Nottingham Castle, which has a permanent art gallery space, and the majority of Scottish Castles do not display artwork in a gallery presentation but as it originally would have been situated as decoration for the residents. Hence, showing art inside a Castle without the intention of historical recreation is a relatively unheard-of presentation method (National Trust for Scotland, 2025). The castles with designated gallery spaces have been remodelled
internally to create smooth, block colour traditional gallery walls, making Doune a unique castle exhibition space This is especially relevant in connecting further to the past as well as placing the older artworks made after the Gothic revival into an environment that inspired their original creation (Luckhurst, 2021), due to the Victorian obsession with medieval iconography and design, therefore connecting gothic architecture to the themes found in gothic artwork
When assigning the layout of the exhibition, the scale of the artworks and their essential proximity to their thematic counterpart were extremely important. The decision to keep the pairs of works together was made to help any viewers without prior knowledge of gothic themes determine the similarities between works more easily and make the aim of the exhibition clearer to all. This also further emphasizes the theme of connectedness through time for all viewers when presented together.
The films will be projected on to screens to match their aspect ratio so the texture of the wall can be seen surrounding the screens. Due to the larger scale of the screens, various layouts were experimented with regarding the placement of the screens in the room to avoid cutting off the flow of the exhibition or blocking the view of any other artworks.
Due to the exhibition having three video pieces and the scale of the screens too large for comfortable viewing on the same wall, the decision was made to display them on opposite walls. The viewer does not exist outside of the timeline but are situated in the middle of the growth of fear, showing its connectedness to us as individuals. By having three video pieces, two of which were connected, situated in a space with 6 windows and four walls, the screens had to be placed in a way that didn’t interrupt or distract from the aim of showing diptychlike pieces. Various layouts were considered when attempting to show both artworks together Large projections allowed for more extreme variation of size in the exhibition and add interest to the show. However, due to their size and the hopes of imitating the feeling of being in a cinema, the size of the screens couldn’t be placed side by side. Due to the windows, it was hard to fit large projections onto the same space without covering a window or the projections being too close together. Taking inspiration from Douglas Gordons “24 hour psycho back and forth and two and fro” (2008) which had two overlapping standing screens was tried to make the audience able to see both films at once while also imitating the fragmented storytelling methods of vampire fiction. However, due to their size, they often disrupted the flow of the gallery by either blocking other artworks from sight or feeling like they sectioned off part of the room. Inspired by Leila Weefur's exhibition of beauty and horror (Seikaly, 2019), showing the screens at opposite ends of the room was considered as a way to force the audience to make the connection themselves and become a part of the timeline. So as to not block the large window to the left of the main entrance and not bombard the viewer with a large screen immediately as they walk in, the screens were placed in the middle of the longer walls, uninterrupted by windows, while also not disturbing any of the other pairs of artworks. This also allows the audience an element of fun, as in the centre of the room sits a slightly raised outline where the fire pit once sat, providing an exact spot for the audience to stand in to connect to the film pieces and the castle simultaneously. The
physical act of turning around to be greeted with giant projections of vampires instils feelings of paranoia and fear, constantly having to look over your shoulder, knowing something menacing lurks behind you.
The two works focusing on religion were placed at the far end of the room as their large scale makes them feel closer to the other pieces. On the left wall, upon entering, are the two smaller pieces of illness, placed on this wall due to their similar size to create symmetry on either side of the large gothic window. The uncanny works are situated around the window to the right of the front door to separate the final film piece from the vampire screens. Placing both the uncanny and housing pieces on the same walls as the vampire films continues the flow of the show without creating large gaps between themes, showing the exhibition as a united Gothic display.
‘Growing the Grotesque’was originally influenced by personal connections to the Gothic. I have been heavily inspired by the films of Tim Burton and David Lynch and their ability to use visual aesthetics to keep a consistently eerie tone throughout entire films and series. In my own artwork, I focus on using found images and attempting to put a horror-infused spin on the source material, altering the antique found images to give them a reinvented meaning while simultaneously reviving them for newer audiences. I also have a personal connection to Doune Castle, as my Grandmother was originally from Doune, and my parents were married inside the Great Hall of the castle, so the venue is a connection to my own past in the same way the exhibition brings different generations of artworks together.
Another inspiration for the premise of the exhibition was observing the shift in depictions of vampires in films. Older films such as “Vampyre” (Dreyer, 1932) and ”Nosferatu” (Murnau, 1922) depict vampires as undesirable immigrants living in ruin, but over time, the portrayals of vampires have shifted to be more human-like. This is partly due to fewer prejudices and fear of foreigners (Luckhurst, 2021) which acted as the inspiration for gothic literature.
Vampires became viewed as desirable, a way to escape death, which was seen in their visual transformations into increasingly more attractive individuals as time progressed. This juxtaposition posed an interesting question of what causes fears to change, or arguably the more interesting question: what fears haven’t changed, and why.
To review, this exhibition aimed to highlight the various reasons why fears have not changed at their core, regardless of improving quality of life, technological advances and better education. When these theories are applied to visual art, it becomes much easier to see the distinct changes in media and representation while simultaneously highlighting their similarities.
‘Growing the Grotesque’seeks to invite audiences from all backgrounds to explore their darker sides and give context to the practical ways in which facing fear through art is important to keep us grounded, safe and sympathetic towards each other. Showing an exhibition in a castle aims to create an entertaining day out and become more accessible to those outside the art world by breaking down the expectations of what an art gallery should be, to show that anyone can enjoy art at any place and any time. However most importantly, it inspires people to seek connections in artwork they have been prompted to expect are different. Everything is connected when you know where to look.
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