The evocative atmosphere of this work brings a feeling of nostalgia and loneliness to me, something only comparable to that last famous slow motion scene of Roy Batty in the film Bladerunner (1982) by Ridley Scott. One of Whelan’s most contemplative and personal paintings is probably Bluebird (2001).
When viewing Whelan’s most introspective works I can’t help making up stories in my mind tantalized by the imagery these pictures project. Clarke of the same name, seem to give us a glimpse of a possible Utopian future for our people, even if it is only as a figment of the imagination. Other works like Songs of The Distant Earth (1986), even if designed only for the purpose of illustrating the book by Arthur C. But I’m getting a bit ahead of myself here.ĭreams are the passageways that connect the collective unconscious with the oneiric world, so it is no surprise that such visions of dreams and ancient memories should intertwine with one another. In other paintings Whelan seems to represent the ancient race-memory of a people who once inhabited this world (like in the case of Sentinels, 1988) millions of moons ago, but whose presence is still being felt, maybe in some realm beyond the pole. Who has never dreamed of ‘places’ such as Whelan represents in these pictures? strange buildings, abandoned factories, solitary gardens, ancient cities in ruins – what messages can these dream portend? The protagonists of these paintings (usually women) seem to be stranded in a perennial world of twilight, of red-coloured lights and long shadows cast by otherworldly sunsets. I for one see this personal alternative reality vision of his as a representation of the world of dreams in which the viewer can behold a more introspective, as well as evocative, approach in contrast with his more commercial assignments (which tend to be more fantasy-oriented). Since Michael Whelan is such a prodigious painter I have decided to focus mostly on one of his most well-known facets, the one which he calls ‘alternate reality’, leaving his more fantasy-oriented works a bit on the sideline. Many people know that I have been posting images of works by Whelan on social media on uncountable occasions, so it was just about time for me to dedicate some thoughts to this fascinating artist. Michael Whelan’s works were a great influence in the transition for the fantastic genre when shifting away from the surrealism promoted in the 1950s and 1960s, back to a more realistic aesthetics. Whelan is still going strong these days, exhibiting his work all over the world. Suffice to say that he has been awarded many times over the years for these works. His paintings have appeared on the covers of more than 350 fantasy books by contemporary writers such as Stephen King, Anne McCaffrey, Melanie Rawn and Michael Moorcock, also classic writers like Edgar Rice Burroughs, H.P.
His career spans all over five decades, a very dilated time-span in which he has created paintings for many book publishers of the sci-fi genre, as well as record covers for many bands. Michael Whelan (born June 29, 1950) is one of the big boys in the realm of contemporary fantastic illustration, so much so that one cannot help stumbling upon this artist when being involved in the subject.
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