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Underworlds: A Compelling Journey Through Subterranean Realms, Real and Imagined
A darkly evocative compendium of images exploring natural, constructed, imaginary, and subconscious underworlds, curated by renowned image collector and social media figure Stephen Ellcock. Underworlds takes readers on a captivating visual odyssey to the underbelly of everything, beginning with depictions of life and natural systems existing beneath the surface of the Earth and ending with imagery that emanates from the depths of our subconscious. Work by world-renowned artists―from Peter Paul Rubens and René Magritte to contemporary artists such as Kara Walker and Roger Ballen―is featured alongside recently unearthed images from archives around the world. Expertly curated, themed, and paired by image alchemist Stephen Ellcock, these remarkable depictions evoke the underworlds―both real and imagined―that have fascinated humankind for millennia. From the burrows and secret bunkers beneath our feet to imagined hellscapes and surrealist dreamscapes, the disquieting, alarming,and wonderful visuals span natural and constructed subterranea and imagined and subconscious worlds. The works of art featured range from the scientific and photographic to the surreal and visionary. A personal introduction by Ellcock together with contextual chapter introductions establish key themes while panel texts elucidate essential concepts, historical events, and figures. Thought-provoking literary, philosophical, and spiritual quotations punctuate the intriguing images. Together, the arresting images and authoritative text highlight the interplay between the real and the imagined, revealing how the real has informed our imagination, and conversely how our imagination has depicted the esoteric, the abject, and the unknown. 246 color illustrations
256 pages, Hardcover
First published October 17, 2023
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815 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 6, 2025
I mean, it's like buying an exhibition that you squeeze into a bookcase. That you can come back to at any time. It isn't even an exhibition based off one singular artist, nor one country, nor one singular art movement. Suddenly taking the 2020s by storm, Ellcock's exhibitions/books/cauldron of 'image alchemy', dive into topics that are holistic, worldly, metaphysical. Screw individual people and movements from a particular place as exhibitions normally are like, in this book we go deep into the root of all art and all desire for creation across space and time- pondering the patterns, and their processes, question and present the constructed eternal, 'ecologically' so, displaying interrelations, saying something that is almost said. The cosmic, the ideal, the questions. Who knows. Art has many different relationships with many different people.
Here, Ellcock delves into the topic of the under, 'what' lies below. It's always a challenge to approach such wide topics and intricately filter out, essentially, all the art in the world to present this topic. I enjoyed his curation, particularly how the chapters go from, first, exploring the geophysical underworld, to death and grief, to psychological depths and dreams. The book takes kind of *exterior* to *interior* direction. From the upwelling of lava deep benearth the Earth to the upwelling of thoughts and urges from the collective unconscious, patterns ebb and flow through the book, bob up and down for you to catch. No messy, stylized writing- this is all shown with images. Fascinating paintings, tapestries, sculptures, so on, dotted across the page, with quotes and occasional long texts between. Boggles me how Ellcock finds everything and tangles it all up together in a lightly woven narrative. But it's certainly a great way for a book to go, especially for more visual readers/thinkers, very accomodating personally!
In the name of 'image alchemy', images from all eras and most areas are arranged with faintly similar themes, whether it be colour scheme, the dynamics, shapes, so on, and all entangled, present general patterns of human nature and desire for expression amongst themes of the underworld, the darkness below, etc. And that there is beauty to it, that humans from the beginning of time have explored and felt. In grief, in depression, in fear. Delving into the emotional underworld at the end and the art chosen to present psychological mystery was particualrly sophisticated and interesting in its choices. In dark times, this is a comforting and inspiring book. And what a reminder about the power of Art!
And the themes and messages are not direct- this is good, I think. There is space between these images for contemplation, to walk our own paths across / around the space. So, not just how one relates to a singular piece of art, but in what way would the viewer connect these two selected pieces of art together? What do they realise that they never have? What do they focus on? What image do they prefer? It's a new interaction to have with art. A mode of relating to art.
More detail regarding the origins of such works , texts, and quotes would be nice, but I know that would make for a dense book. I would also want more art from a diverse range of places, so beyond majorly Medieval Germany, Japan, etc- where is South America? Oceania? The Caucusus? Maybe this book has just made me hungry for more art.. great.
I also get worried about whether these visuals and 'image alchemy' is just linking aesthetics and not anything deeper- this book has led me to question what aesthetics even are. I am worried still- will all upcoming books fall into the same themes, using the same art from similar eras? Will Ellcock explore more interesting topics - go more broad or more niche? Will it all be similar i.e fall into an aesthetic, or not? I wonder what's next.
Either way in the age of AI, where learning and acquiring human-made art is getting oddly inaccessible ('information age', 'age of knowledge' my ass), this book is refreshing.
I'm all here for it!! Cosmic Dance, here I come!
Here, Ellcock delves into the topic of the under, 'what' lies below. It's always a challenge to approach such wide topics and intricately filter out, essentially, all the art in the world to present this topic. I enjoyed his curation, particularly how the chapters go from, first, exploring the geophysical underworld, to death and grief, to psychological depths and dreams. The book takes kind of *exterior* to *interior* direction. From the upwelling of lava deep benearth the Earth to the upwelling of thoughts and urges from the collective unconscious, patterns ebb and flow through the book, bob up and down for you to catch. No messy, stylized writing- this is all shown with images. Fascinating paintings, tapestries, sculptures, so on, dotted across the page, with quotes and occasional long texts between. Boggles me how Ellcock finds everything and tangles it all up together in a lightly woven narrative. But it's certainly a great way for a book to go, especially for more visual readers/thinkers, very accomodating personally!
In the name of 'image alchemy', images from all eras and most areas are arranged with faintly similar themes, whether it be colour scheme, the dynamics, shapes, so on, and all entangled, present general patterns of human nature and desire for expression amongst themes of the underworld, the darkness below, etc. And that there is beauty to it, that humans from the beginning of time have explored and felt. In grief, in depression, in fear. Delving into the emotional underworld at the end and the art chosen to present psychological mystery was particualrly sophisticated and interesting in its choices. In dark times, this is a comforting and inspiring book. And what a reminder about the power of Art!
And the themes and messages are not direct- this is good, I think. There is space between these images for contemplation, to walk our own paths across / around the space. So, not just how one relates to a singular piece of art, but in what way would the viewer connect these two selected pieces of art together? What do they realise that they never have? What do they focus on? What image do they prefer? It's a new interaction to have with art. A mode of relating to art.
More detail regarding the origins of such works , texts, and quotes would be nice, but I know that would make for a dense book. I would also want more art from a diverse range of places, so beyond majorly Medieval Germany, Japan, etc- where is South America? Oceania? The Caucusus? Maybe this book has just made me hungry for more art.. great.
I also get worried about whether these visuals and 'image alchemy' is just linking aesthetics and not anything deeper- this book has led me to question what aesthetics even are. I am worried still- will all upcoming books fall into the same themes, using the same art from similar eras? Will Ellcock explore more interesting topics - go more broad or more niche? Will it all be similar i.e fall into an aesthetic, or not? I wonder what's next.
Either way in the age of AI, where learning and acquiring human-made art is getting oddly inaccessible ('information age', 'age of knowledge' my ass), this book is refreshing.
I'm all here for it!! Cosmic Dance, here I come!
December 29, 2023
what the FUCK i loved this (read captions and looked at creepy pictures). also the book itself was an absolute work of art. highly recommend a thumb through if you're a little freak
big trigger warnings if you have trypophobia, thalassophobia, hemophobia, or fears of viscera, visceral fat, bones, or tortured bodies in paintings.
big trigger warnings if you have trypophobia, thalassophobia, hemophobia, or fears of viscera, visceral fat, bones, or tortured bodies in paintings.
July 7, 2024
What a work of art, I’m obsessed with this.
November 28, 2023
A magnetic pull drove my attention to this book as I was walking through the Royal Academy shop, after viewing Marina Abramovic's retrospective.
What is spirituality?
This is another take, another window into what spirituality could mean, could be.
I quote the very 1st paragraph of the Introduction "We live in a world of surfaces, of gloss and illusion and first impressions, a global empire of signs, sensory saturation and instant gratification. Constant distraction combined with endless pressures leave us overloaded and disorientated, our inner selves as remote and mysterious to us as the unfathomable core of the planet that gave us life."
This book breaks down in 5 different chapters of images and quotes, each introduced by the author with a 2-page text: (1) Beneath the Surface, (2) Human Habitation & Exploration, (3) Underwater Worlds, (4) Imagine Underground Worlds, (5) Subliminal Realms.
I loved this book. All encompassing: psychology, geology, philosophy, art, literature. Dear to me: Dante, Egyptian / Greek / Roman mythology, Aldous Huxley, Lewis Carroll. It also brought back notions and images from my recent trip to Mexico.
What is spirituality?
This is another take, another window into what spirituality could mean, could be.
I quote the very 1st paragraph of the Introduction "We live in a world of surfaces, of gloss and illusion and first impressions, a global empire of signs, sensory saturation and instant gratification. Constant distraction combined with endless pressures leave us overloaded and disorientated, our inner selves as remote and mysterious to us as the unfathomable core of the planet that gave us life."
This book breaks down in 5 different chapters of images and quotes, each introduced by the author with a 2-page text: (1) Beneath the Surface, (2) Human Habitation & Exploration, (3) Underwater Worlds, (4) Imagine Underground Worlds, (5) Subliminal Realms.
I loved this book. All encompassing: psychology, geology, philosophy, art, literature. Dear to me: Dante, Egyptian / Greek / Roman mythology, Aldous Huxley, Lewis Carroll. It also brought back notions and images from my recent trip to Mexico.
January 15, 2024
“"Imagination thrives in darkness"”
"Imagination thrives in darkness" so it is no wonder, a book delving inside the world we know -and the worlds we do not- thrives from page to page, as it discusses the underbelly of all, from what lies beneath our feet, to what haunts us on the otherside, to the depths of our imaginations. I really enjoyed this book and how it discusses a range of notions from psychology, geology, art and architecture to the mythos different religions and peoples have created over time. A beautiful book for anyone intrigued by the idea of our 'underworlds', environmental destruction and survival, art and all that word may encompass. A beautiful gift, as well as a useful resource for those of us with intrigue, or writing tendencies.
"Imagination thrives in darkness" so it is no wonder, a book delving inside the world we know -and the worlds we do not- thrives from page to page, as it discusses the underbelly of all, from what lies beneath our feet, to what haunts us on the otherside, to the depths of our imaginations. I really enjoyed this book and how it discusses a range of notions from psychology, geology, art and architecture to the mythos different religions and peoples have created over time. A beautiful book for anyone intrigued by the idea of our 'underworlds', environmental destruction and survival, art and all that word may encompass. A beautiful gift, as well as a useful resource for those of us with intrigue, or writing tendencies.
January 8, 2024
Underworlds is certainly an interesting amalgam of information and images of not only the Underworld for mythology but the world under us scientifically. The book makes for a good quick read due to the images included in it and provides well-written information for the topics provided. I personally thought that when the author was making reference to stories / paintings / photos in their text, they should've made it clear what the source for each was as it's not obvious just from reading if they're talking about a book or a painting. This is the same for some of the images included as I was unsure if some were photographs or paintings.
May 14, 2024
I read this as research material for a project I’m working on that takes place entirely underground, and it served as a vital resource. Beginning in the material world and ending with the unconscious, I felt like I was being taken underground myself. It constructs and reconstructs the concept of what is “beneath,” ultimately leading to a conclusion of rebirth. The way the book is formatted, and the images and quotes supplement the material so perfectly, and it was fascinating from start to finish.
November 18, 2025
This short book is perhaps the best possible example of what curating art and writing into printed media can be.
Underworlds is beautiful, in its art, narrative and selected prose; but also in its production. This is world class creation across the board.
If you have even a small curiosity about the subconscious, psychology, or the human psyche, absorb this en masse.
Woody Hayday
Underworlds is beautiful, in its art, narrative and selected prose; but also in its production. This is world class creation across the board.
If you have even a small curiosity about the subconscious, psychology, or the human psyche, absorb this en masse.
Woody Hayday
February 19, 2024
Really more art than book tours was still a visually stunning work of pure genius. Absolutely beautiful and engaging on every level. I very much enjoyed this and devoured it in just a few short hours. Get lost in the pictures and let the words speak to your soul. Highly recommend to those who lose themselves in museums and then love to visit the gift shop after. 10/10
June 10, 2024
A fascinating collection of oddities from art to quotes, speaking to the subterranean depths within us and the earth. Excellently curated by Stephen Ellcock, I look forward to reading more of his books.
August 23, 2024
Another splendid collection of images from Stephen Ellcock. I find his books relaxing and thought-provoking. So many of the eclectic illustrations prompt investigation of the creator and the context. Ideal for browsing and discovering new ideas.
February 13, 2025
talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, shit on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it.
August 12, 2025
art book. reasonably well put together, includes contemporary work which sets it aside from similar collections. well informed author who also assembled and read thoroughly, as evidenced by a nice bibliography. good to have on hand for aesthetic inspiration.
December 24, 2025
Very much a vibes-based collage (post-instagram), the main curating factor being complementary colours/compositions, rather than anything really illuminating about 'underworlds'. But I like lots of cool images too!
November 23, 2023
Beautiful and extremely interesting, almost in a haunting way. I will read it again for sure
March 6, 2024
Art book.
June 16, 2024
a beautiful pictorial exploration of arts, literature and Earth
April 1, 2025
Loved this amazing collection of art and writing. Cannot wait to get my hands on another one of Stephen Ellcock's books.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews