“Nightmare Children of the Tri-State Area” … decks & art thematics?

It’s birthday month… and for the last few months I have been working away on what visual links I can find in certain tarot and oracle decks, who created them, where they were created, and what I think that means about the experience of place on the minds of those prone to nightmares. I’ve been calling this the “Nightmare Children of the Tri-State Area” project… but of course if we approach it art historically, it will always be rather Beksinksi or Bosch-like in this realm too. (Also Escher…)

“In Hoc Signo Vinces” by Zdzisław Beksiński. Reproduced here under Creative Commons Licence (Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 2.0 Generic) from “Gandalf’s Gallery” with whom I have no affiliation. Another amazing Beksinski piece to check out is “Figure (1978)”.

For now, here’s a sneak peek into what artistic themes are playing a role here:

“Golden Slumbers” is a poem I wrote on October 14, 2023 while walking through my memory of specific nightmares and giving them more collective language. I have been feeling very inspired by Escher and Piranesi in this, among others…
“Curses” is a poem I wrote on November 26, 2023 while walking through my memory of specific experiences in the wetlands around New York and New Jersey… and giving them more collective language.

The decks in question*:

More sketches, explorations, and thoughts to follow soon! In the meantime, let me know what you think 👻

Hell Panel (detail), Garden of Earthly Delights, Hieronymus Bosch (between 1490-1510?) Reproduced here from Wikimedia Commons.

Sincerely,

Sorsha.

* All decks featured here of my own volition and arising from my own use of them. I have neither been invited nor commissioned to do so and I have no affiliation with Deviant Moon Inc. or Nicolas Bruno. Apart from having one of these decks (the TdL Paradoxical) given to me by a friend, I have purchased all of these myself.

Saoirse Graves

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