Town Herald Features

An Evening with Brian Froud
by Marion Z. [ Skydancer ]

Recently I was most privileged to attend a book signing and promotional stop by the renowned author, artist and fairy advocate, Brian Froud.

He stopped by the local most brilliant of bookshops in Asheville, Malaprop's which is an excellent bookstore with many marvellous folk that work there, but they also have a cafe with really good coffee and treats. Do please see the links for them at the end of this article, it is worth your time, especially if you are in the Asheville, NC area.

Mr. Froud was at Malaprops to promote his new book that he did with Ari Berk, GOBLINS! and it was, I believe a rousing success. There were no empty seats and many folk sitting on the floor and standing where ever they could find room around the book stacks. Many glittering pairs of wings, a few horns, and a great many fascinating costumes and fairy folk were to be seen.

He was introduced by one of the very fine artists that work on staff, {whom I am doing an article on so I will keep him for a surprise} and presented an off the cuff, unprepared series of comments and glimpses into his journey both as an artist, and as an interpreter of Fairy. There were a number of really quite funny anecdotes about his work with the late, and truly great Jim Henson , particularly on the film DARK CRYSTAL . And some wonderful insights into the world of publishers, and working in the film and publishing end of things as an author and artist.

He also had smuggled in one of the Goblins, though he had to convince it to behave as if it were a doll, since customs certainly would have some problems with a living goblin. We were most privileged to meet one of the little fellows that he had in one of his magical cases. And after his talk and a rather extensive answer and question session, he did a book signing and I am most pleased to report I was able to get one of my books signed by him. And while I really have no idea how he eventually reacted to them, I presented him with a set of my own prints, and told him about Elfwood & Elftown .

Now for a really important thing, possibly the most powerful and important thing I carried away from the gift of his coming. Many people, over the period of the question and answer, asked him about the source of his inspiration, how he came up with his ideas and the names for the fairies, and generally how as an artist he found his muse and concepts. His answer was truly enlightening.

He said, in a bit of a paraphrased way, that it was the fairies that decide how they will become on the page, or the canvas. They tell him their name, they guide him to how they want to be seen, they present him, if he will listen, with the truth of what they are. He interprets you see, with his talents and his gifts, a world that speaks directly, not in symbols or in representation s, but directly into his art. When you open a book of his fairy art, is it not the product of his talent you are engaging, but the very stuff of the fairy itself. So even though most would only see an image of the fairy, in truth, it is the essence and a direct expression of the fairy though the vehicle of his art that you experience.

In my own work, I have often found it difficult to make others understand that I express the spirit of the subject and it is their souls, personality and joy, or pain, that determines how the images turn out. I very rarely plan what will happen, it just.. happens. It is the openness, the trust, the sharing of the subject with me, be it a nude body they offer, or a sight into their soul through writing and poems, or any of a number of truly honest revelations of themselves that is the driving creative forces behind much of my work and especially my fairy work. If anything, I suppose I am finding the fairy within them. And Brian, is truly a gatekeeper for me, for it was through his work and his expression of his journey, that helped a great deal in me finding my own.

In case there are any that might be unaware of just who Brian Froud is in our community, he is quite probably the greatest and most brilliant of all living artists in the fairy genre, and is, if not directly, then through his work, the inspiration for nearly all the fairy work that is out there today.

Author of Faeries, now available in a 25th anniversary edition
Artist and designer of the DARK CRYSTAL
and many many more.
http://www.worldoffroud.com/

Malaprop's Bookstore and Cafe
55 Haywood St.
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 254-6734
http://www.malaprops.booksense.com