Belgian artist Laurent Durieux is a veteran A-list illustrator
whose work has only recently become known in North America, mostly through his
alternate movie posters created for Mondo.
Durieux’ talent is on generous display in his singular take on James Whale’s Frankenstein.
Illustrating the pivotal flower scene, Durieux focuses on
The Monster, holding a daisy. Note the little girl’s presence as a shadow,
barely visible, under the titles. Note the ominous background, a field
of brambles. Note The Monster’s expression, hesitant, perhaps captivated by the
flower’s fragrance, trying to understand what is happening.
The Monster’s brief existence has been couched in fear and
violence. Roaming the countryside, he encounters a child who takes him by the
hand and invites him to play. It is the only solace he will ever know. In the
next instant, everything will go terribly wrong. You can see the wheels turning
in his head. Is the little girl like a flower?
Durieux has captured a fleeting moment, at once beautiful
and terrible, suspended in time. A key scene, a simple statement, beautifully
designed and rendered, laden with meaning.
Durieux’ posters are typically charged with suspense. A
poster for The Wolf Man captures the
cursed Larry Talbot’s despair at the soul-crushing moment when he has just
begun to transform. A poster for The Mummy is full of mystery, romance and terror, a knife signifying that
immortal life begins with death. Durieux favors genre films, fantasy worlds and
space opera, everything from King Kong and The Wizard of Oz to Metropolis and Buck Rogers. His Frankenstein
poster, you will agree, is a masterpiece.
Visit Laurent Durieux’ website and portfolio.
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