OTT Gothic Lolita #8
OTT Gothic Lolita #8
This post is going to be another post where I'll be recommending things for over-the-top gothic lolita that I haven't see but would like to see. Specifically, I will be describing potential ideas for OTT gothic lolita prints.
* Occult and pagan themes: In my previous post on gothic lolita prints, I discussed the use of motifs associated with traditional Christianity in gothic lolita. That's cool, but I think it would also be cool to have prints inspired by occult and pagan themes. Think of prints using motifs like pentagrams, goat's-heads, spirals, and alchemical symbols on the occult side; or prints depicting ancients myths with a gothic atmosphere such as the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades or the Germanic myth of Ragnarok on the pagan side.
Occult motifs:
* Cosmic horror: Since the genres of gothic horror and cosmic horror are very closely related, I think it would be interesting to use cosmic horror themes in gothic lolita prints. Think of strange monsters, ancient ruins, mysterious astrological objects, and surreal deep sea creatures.
Cosmic horror motifs:
* Flowers other than roses: Roses are often used in gothic lolita, and with good reason. Roses are a prominent symbol in gothic literature and art. Other flowers that also have gothic associations are white lilies (which are considered funeral flowers and are symbolically connected to ghosts), violets (which symbolize mourning and sorrow), irises with dark petals (considered symbolic of passion and intense emotion because of their deep, hypersaturated color and their sword-like leaves (leaves that earned irises the poetic nickname of "sword lily")), poppies (symbolic of death but also sleep and dreams (both as a result of being the source of Romanticism's favorite drug, opium), and red poppies have an additional connotation of mourning for those killed, wounded, or traumatized in modern wars), and bleeding hearts (which symbolize tragic romance).
* Gothic literature and scenes: It would be wonderful to see prints inspired by gothic literature. Think of a print based off Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven, with the raven perched on Athena's bust, or Annabel Lee, with panels showing the narrator and Annabel Lee, the angels killing Lee and carrying away her spirit, and the narrator lying at Lee's feet in her tomb. Think of a print illustrating Heathcliff, the great and terrible anti-hero of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff standing on the barren fields of northern England, his dark hair blowing in the wind, perhaps also with symbols of love turned destructive such as black roses and sword-pierced hearts. Those are just a few of the possibilities.
* Art of Romanticism: I've sometimes seen over-the-top classic lolita dresses with Baroque art as the print. I think a lovely over-the-top gothic lolita equivalent would be dresses with Romantic art as the print. Romanticism was the artistic/literary/aesthetic movement that gave rise to the gothic style and provided much of the inspiration for the goth subculture, so this would be a natural choice. Think of the dream-scenes of William Blake with their mystical characters and otherworldly atmosphere, the wild and emotion-drowned landscapes of JMW (Joseph Mallord William) Turner, the wild dramatics of Eugene Delacroix, the mysterious and striking nightmares of Francisco Goya, and (my personal favorite) the majestic, lonely, and heroic paintings of Caspar David Friedrich. Also consider using art from later artistic movements influenced by Romanticism, such as Symbolism.
* Popular culture representations: Unlike the more classically-minded two recommendations above, I also think that popular culture could provide plenty of inspirations for gothic lolita prints. Think of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, with their glamorous and romantic monsters, think of Bloodborne, with its mysterious gothic city of Yharnam and its nightmarish creatures, think of Edward Scissorhands, with its gloomy hero and his ethereal ice art.
This post is going to be another post where I'll be recommending things for over-the-top gothic lolita that I haven't see but would like to see. Specifically, I will be describing potential ideas for OTT gothic lolita prints.
* Occult and pagan themes: In my previous post on gothic lolita prints, I discussed the use of motifs associated with traditional Christianity in gothic lolita. That's cool, but I think it would also be cool to have prints inspired by occult and pagan themes. Think of prints using motifs like pentagrams, goat's-heads, spirals, and alchemical symbols on the occult side; or prints depicting ancients myths with a gothic atmosphere such as the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades or the Germanic myth of Ragnarok on the pagan side.
Occult motifs:
Pagan motifs:
* Cosmic horror: Since the genres of gothic horror and cosmic horror are very closely related, I think it would be interesting to use cosmic horror themes in gothic lolita prints. Think of strange monsters, ancient ruins, mysterious astrological objects, and surreal deep sea creatures.
Cosmic horror motifs:
* Flowers other than roses: Roses are often used in gothic lolita, and with good reason. Roses are a prominent symbol in gothic literature and art. Other flowers that also have gothic associations are white lilies (which are considered funeral flowers and are symbolically connected to ghosts), violets (which symbolize mourning and sorrow), irises with dark petals (considered symbolic of passion and intense emotion because of their deep, hypersaturated color and their sword-like leaves (leaves that earned irises the poetic nickname of "sword lily")), poppies (symbolic of death but also sleep and dreams (both as a result of being the source of Romanticism's favorite drug, opium), and red poppies have an additional connotation of mourning for those killed, wounded, or traumatized in modern wars), and bleeding hearts (which symbolize tragic romance).
* Gothic literature and scenes: It would be wonderful to see prints inspired by gothic literature. Think of a print based off Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven, with the raven perched on Athena's bust, or Annabel Lee, with panels showing the narrator and Annabel Lee, the angels killing Lee and carrying away her spirit, and the narrator lying at Lee's feet in her tomb. Think of a print illustrating Heathcliff, the great and terrible anti-hero of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff standing on the barren fields of northern England, his dark hair blowing in the wind, perhaps also with symbols of love turned destructive such as black roses and sword-pierced hearts. Those are just a few of the possibilities.
* Art of Romanticism: I've sometimes seen over-the-top classic lolita dresses with Baroque art as the print. I think a lovely over-the-top gothic lolita equivalent would be dresses with Romantic art as the print. Romanticism was the artistic/literary/aesthetic movement that gave rise to the gothic style and provided much of the inspiration for the goth subculture, so this would be a natural choice. Think of the dream-scenes of William Blake with their mystical characters and otherworldly atmosphere, the wild and emotion-drowned landscapes of JMW (Joseph Mallord William) Turner, the wild dramatics of Eugene Delacroix, the mysterious and striking nightmares of Francisco Goya, and (my personal favorite) the majestic, lonely, and heroic paintings of Caspar David Friedrich. Also consider using art from later artistic movements influenced by Romanticism, such as Symbolism.
* Popular culture representations: Unlike the more classically-minded two recommendations above, I also think that popular culture could provide plenty of inspirations for gothic lolita prints. Think of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, with their glamorous and romantic monsters, think of Bloodborne, with its mysterious gothic city of Yharnam and its nightmarish creatures, think of Edward Scissorhands, with its gloomy hero and his ethereal ice art.
This series has been a lot of fun. Thank you for indulging me.