In medieval maps the edge of the explored world was also the edge of knowledge. In true horror vacui style, these voids were filled with bizarre megafauna: dragons, leviathans, and sea monsters. The phrase Here Be Dragons came to represent this need to populate the unknown with the fantastical, and to use it as a space for imagination to run wild. ‘Here be Dragons’ explores its enduring legacy …
In medieval maps the edge of the explored world was also the edge of knowledge. In true horror vacui style, these voids were filled with bizarre megafauna: dragons, leviathans, and sea monsters. The phrase Here Be Dragons came to represent this need to populate the unknown with the fantastical, and to use it as a space for imagination to run wild. ‘Here be Dragons’ explores its enduring legacy through the work of four contemporary artists: Olivia Kemp, Mark Connolly, Cheri Smith, and Carolein Smit.
Olivia Kemp’s ink drawings stem from stream-of-consciousness markmaking that unfolds into …
