What might loosely be called 'Barbarian Fantasy' is the area in which Boris first became widely famous and it is one to which he still happily returns whenever the chance comes. He has other interests but this is a natural territory providing endless scope for exploring his favourite themes, not least of them the human form honed to perfection. Like the ancient Greek sculptors, Boris finds the perfected human form a source of endless inspiration as did William Blake, who constantly returned to the idea that the human form is the nub of everything, most famously in his Songs of Innocence:
For Mercy has a human heart, Pity a human face, And Love, the human form divine, And Peace, the human dress.
Then every man, of every clime, That prays in his distress, Prays to the human form divine, Love, Mercy, Pity, Peace.
Many people get uncomfortable when such comparisons are made with modern popular art such as Boris and Julie's, but this is perhaps a good place to remind them that Greek sculpture was intended to please the general people, not just an intellectual elite. Similarly with William Blake who set out to be a popular balladeer and illustrator rather than a Fine Artist. That he totally failed during his lifetime was his personal tragedy but he has been triumphantly vindicated since.
However, we're in danger of straying from the point so let's just say that in my view it is not pretentious at all to compare modern illustrators with the great figurative artists and illustrators of the past because that is often their inspiration and they are carrying the same torch, while Fine Art has taken off in a wholly different direction. Often very admirable in its own way, but something quite different.
PILLAR OF THE CAVE 1991, Boris
Boris once spent several years concentrating on mainly Greek and Roman myths till he felt he had exhausted their potential - not because he ran out of myths but because he felt he was beginning to repeat himself and it was time to move on. Also he received some flak for supposed liberties he took: 'Some people criticized the accuracy of my interpretations, but to me that is an oxymoron because how can myths be accurate? They're not history but imagination.'
FURIES 1991, Boris (left)
Another picture from one of Boris's mythology calendars showing the famous revenging scourges from Greek legend. This is more how Boris likes to show women - full of power and aggression.
SUPRISE 1992, Boris (above)
Another variation of the Beauty and the Beast scenario. Boris mostly did this picture because he wanted to paint the model, who was a friend's secretary. Ironically this friend was himself a Playboy photographer who also tried to get her to pose for his camera, but she refused. Why she agreed to do it for Boris remains a slight but satisfying mystery.
EL VITRAL 1999, Julie
A symbolic calendar painting which captures Julie's feeling that spirituality is as often to be found in untamed nature as in spiritual art, represented by the stained glass window (el vitral in Spanish).
THE RAINBOW 1988, Boris
Boris always enjoys painting people from different ethnic backgrounds because it adds to the whole feel of a painting. He finds though that there are strangely few female African Americans interested in modelling, so he and Julie make the most of the chances that come along, as here when these four subjects came along together. They all had beautiful physiques, perfect for this kind of painting. The rainbow suggested itself as a motif for racial harmony.
EBONY GOD 1989, Boris
An African scene from Boris's world mytholog series, showing the creation of a human in the image of the gods. While doing this series Boris was impressed by the similar principles underlying the myths of all cultures.
RITUAL 2000, Julie
This painting was inspired by a studio photograph of the two models who conjured this moving ritualistic dance pose suggesting some shamanistic ceremony. The hands in particular suggested the summoning of some force outside of themselves, so here in an atmospheric outdoor setting we see it taking the form of a third ethereal female somehow combining the energies of the other two. Some two years elapsed between the original photograph and the painting.
SLEEP OF THE DRAGON 1990, Boris
This shows the enchantress Medea from Greek mythology helping Jason the Argonaut sedate the dragon guarding the Golden Fleece. Some people might find his portrayal of Medea more muscular than they imagined, certainly this is not typically how she is shown, but Boris sees no reason why she should not be like this. He just likes to depict people at the height of physical fitness.
WOLF FANGS 1997, Boris
Most of Boris and Julie's calendars have no particular theme and offer the chance to paint just whatever comes to mind. This picture was inspired mainly by wanting to do justice to the model - a professional bodybuilder in the physical fitness field. Also by a love of painting animals. The attraction of wolves is that they have an ambivalent relationship with us, being known both for their occasional sweet friendliness and their ferocity. An otherworldly element is introduced here by having them materialize out of thin air, but like true wolves they have chosen a moment when their prey is looking the wrong way, despite being on the alert.
FIST OF POWER 1979, Boris (left)
A poster from the 1970s before Boris introduced his characteristic signature with copyright sign and date, so we've had to guess the date. A very popular and characteristic image of the period, helped maybe by the monster's exotic mask. The picture prompts the question: what exactly is going on here? But it is up to the viewer to supply an answer; the scene is not taken from any established story.
THE PORTAL 2001, Julie (above)
Cover for a Japanese computer game. The aim was to create an illusion of depth with the dwarf breaking out of the CD case into our plane of reality. The fey female is mischievously smiling, not something that happens often in Boris and Julie paintings. This is not because of any lack of humour on their part, quite the opposite, just that smiles are rarely called for in this area of fantasy. Julie's sons posed for the dwarf and wizard, after suitable transmogrification!
SIRENS 1988, Boris
Boris: 'This was really just an excuse to paint four great, lovely women! The trick with mermaids is to make their lower body fishlike enough while keeping a sensual human quality. To me in any case I enjoy painting mermaids from time to time - they're beautiful creatures and I love painting water.'
TAURUS 1987, Boris (left)
From Boris's zodiac series. Here he took the naturalism wanted by the publishers to an extreme by showing a purely dramatic scene and using a water-buffalo as the bull. A very untypical astrological picture but in a way it does capture the character of the sign very well.
SUSAN 2000, Julie (right)
A commissioned portrait by the joint owner of a NewYork art gallery who wanted to see herself in a fantasy setting. Often when illustrating, say, comic book characters the features of a model will be exaggerated as much as necessary to suit the fictional scenario; but in situations like this the aim is to get as good a likeness as possible with the main figure, then imagination is let loose on the magical setting.
Continues...
Excerpted from Twin Visions by Boris Vallejo Copyright © 2002 by Boris Vallejo. Excerpted by permission.
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