Being born two weeks before Halloween, I always had an affinity to all things that were spooky and scary. While taking a deeper dive into movies made before the 1960s, I’ve found deep curiosity in the roots of the horror genre. Through Beautiful Creatures, I take the monsters showcased in the 1913-1956 Universal Pictures’ “Universal Classic Monsters” series of over 30 films and redefine them as beautifully haunting creatures. A common theme found in these movies was that their antagonist (the monster) was seen to be “ugly” and repulsed by society. As an homage to the genre and characters I’ve grown so fond of, I went back to their roots and watched the first instance of each of these monsters as a motion picture film. Drawing light inspiration from the aesthetics of each monster, I create beautiful yet slightly haunting creatures to represent those original creatures. The images are shown in black and white with grain, dust, and scratches to emulate the style of old Hollywood films and bring to light how many of the films made during this time were not only poorly kept but often lost completely.
