Underworlds

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 finishing with imagery that emanates from the depths of our subconscious. Work by world-renowned artists - from Rubens and Rene Magritte to contemporary artists such as Kyra Walker and Edward Burtynsky - 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 mankind 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 naturalistic, scientific and photographic to the surreal and visionary. A personal introduction by Stephen together with contextual chapter introductions establish the key themes and illuminate the hidden meanings and symbolism in the artworks while panel texts elucidate key 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 fed our fears and hopes and informed our imagination, and conversely how our imagination has depicted the esoteric, the abject and the unknown.