Stephen Ellcock

A remarkable compendium of diverse and evocative imagery exploring the wide-ranging and profound associations of the five natural elements?masterfully curated by image alchemist and cult social media figure Stephen Ellcock. Elements is an eclectic, evocative, and resoundingly beautiful treasury of imagery exploring depictions of the elemental forces that reveal their profound significance to ancient philosophers, alchemists, and astrologers, and modern artists, photographers, and scientists alike. Expertly curated, themed, and paired by image alchemist Stephen Ellcock, modern and visionary images are juxtaposed with the ancient and arcane, and the creative power of the elements is contrasted with the disastrous. Following physician and occultist Robert Fludd's (1574–1637) order of the elements, Ellcock guides readers through a remarkable selection of images, ascending from earth through water, air, and fire before culminating in the most spiritual of the elements, celestial aether. He makes parallels with the five elements of eastern philosophies and their relationship to the chakras, acupuncture, and Chinese astrology. Introductory text explores how the elements have defined the components of Earth and the heavens since the ancient creation myths from around the world that first proposed the elements as the fundamental substances of the universe. Insightful panel texts punctuate the pages, illuminating key concepts. Pertinent literary, philosophical, and spiritual quotations are interspersed with the amazing images, presenting further commentary on the overarching themes. At a time when humanity's relationship with the Earth teeters on the edge of catastrophe, this compendium of images exploring the natural elements envisions the possibility of earthly and spiritual harmony emerging from the chaos. 300 color illustrations

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.

A visual journey from the minute to the infinite, exploring the relationships and harmonies between all parts of the universe and inspiring personal contemplation regarding our own place within it. In The Cosmic Dance, renowned image alchemist Stephen Ellcock presents a pan-global collection of remarkable, arresting and surprising images drawn from the entire history of art to explore the ancient belief that the cosmos is reflected in all living things. Organized thematically, the visual journey begins with the microscopic, the particulate and the elemental; then explores the human body as a cosmos in miniature, the beauty of divine proportions and our search for spiritual enlightenment; before finally revelling in the colossal, the celestial and the infinite. An eloquent introduction provides an overview of the central themes and expert commentaries introduce each section. Detailed panels provide bitesize information on key concepts and key thinkers - from the four elements to Cosmic Man and from the moebius strip to the Mandelbrot set - while thought-provoking quotations from philosophers, writers, artists and scientists interspersed throughout the artworks prompt a closer, more personal engagement with the images. This stunning treasury of artworks provides the perfect guide to a deeper contemplation of the world around us, allowing readers, in the words of William Blake, to 'see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour'.

Stephen Ellcock has an international following who avidly await his daily Facebook and Instagram uploads and his carefully curated and sequenced albums of images. His selections of little known and public domain imagery are uplifting and entertaining, drawing thousands of shares and comments. Now, taking his title from the first ever encyclopedia in the English language All Good Things (Omne Bonum), Ellcock's new compendium of art and photography inspired by both the natural world and human endeavour will appeal both to his digital followers and our image-focused, solace-seeking times. All Good Things is structured to evoke the medieval tradition of exquisite, illuminated books - beginning with the universal and travelling through the realms of sky, sea, earth, science and humanity before ending amongst the angels and monsters that have so preoccupied artists over the centuries. Using found artwork from archives, libraries and little-known collections of art, illustration, photography and textiles, this is a glorious adventure; one that can be appreciated on many levels.