Julian is a goblin

My parent's small library contained a book on marine life. Probably published in the early 1960s, the sort with lots of dry text but with a small section of black and white photos in the middle. I didn't care about much of it, except the pirahanas (Seriously, what 10 year old boy doesn't like pirahanas?) and the deep, deep sea fish. I would study those photos to no end. The deep deep sea fish were (and still are) unreal and nightmareish. If the good lord designed and created all the earth's creatures, he was having a serious freak-out when it got to the Marianas Trench. I have for years intermittenly looked for a decent book of photography which focused on these bizarre preposterously befanged, glowing animals. And this is it. Smart succinct descriptions and essays, big beautiful photographs The Deep is a bad dream come true. And I will continue relishing and being inspired by this impressive book for many years.

From the artist's website: Influenced by a Roman Catholic upbringing, punk rock, Erte and Edward Gorey, Hollywood native Elizabeth McGrath is one of her generations more unique and prolific artists. She creates in a number of mediums and materials with undeniable artistry and imagination. Her paintings are haunted whispers of color, depicting subtly dangerous creatures that creep toward the edge of the canvas. Her stitched and bandaged dolls and toys are a united army of soft strangeness, and her mixed media dioramas are isolated freak shows displaying rotting, subhuman figures luxuriously dressed for your pleasure or contempt.