Blurred:Visions

Illustrating the Beasts of the Bible

Combining images and words, our intent in this book, whose working title is “Beasts of the Bible,” is to take a fresh look at the imaginary beasts that appear from Genesis to Revelation. Not only do we want to entertain the viewer-reader with lively drawings and poems but to prompt a fresh look at the writings considered by many to be sacred. Our text-image juxtapositions argue with the Biblical texts, questioning and expanding, as well as with each other, picture dialoging with poem. Together they offer an alternative interpretation of the beasts, such as Leviathan and the Winged Women, that we choose to interact with imaginatively. The drawings are not simply illustrations to the poems or the poems a response to the pictures. Sometimes we begin with the drawing and the text follows or vice versa; other times we work independently, only bringing the image and word together after each of us has separately created their image and poem in response to the biblical text. By coming at the beasts from different angles we hope to delight and to kindle thought.

John Guydo, Illustrator | David Herrstrom, Author / Poetwitter