Dimensions
165 x 230 x 18mm
Originating in the Middle Ages, bestiaries were illustrated volumes that described various animals-some real, some mystical. The natural history and illustration of each beast were usually accompanied by a moral lesson. In this beautifully illustrated book, respected painter Darren Waterston and distinguished poet Mark Doty come together to breathe new life into the medieval genre. Waterston's precise and haunting silhouettes depict species from insects to bird to mammal, captured in motion as they hunt their prey, build their nests, or protect their young. Accompanying these illustrations are Doty's poetic observations on the wonders of the animal world-its canopy of sounds and shapes, its dignity and its cruelty. Lovers of art, animals, and poetry will delight in this elegant volume that captures nature's exquisite and terrible beauty. AUTHOR: Mark Doty is the author of Fire to Fire: New Selected Poems, for which he won the National Book Award in 2008, and Dog Years, a New York Times bestseller. His writings have appeared in The New Yorker, McSweeney's, The Atlantic Monthly, and many other magazines. Darren Waterston's paintings, watercolours, and murals have been exhibited internationally and are in many museum collections, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, The Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, the Seattle Art Museum, and the Portland Art Museum. SELLING POINTS: A collection between a contemporary painter and an award-winning poet, this 21st century bestiary is a spellbinding artistic meditation on the mysteries and diversity of the animal kingdom. ILLUSTRATIONS: 60 colour