The Lovecraftian Thing a Day (2018) No.208: Ito’s Netsuke by Gage Prentiss

One of the things which pleases me greatly - and makes me proud to be, in a very small way, a participant in a wider Lovecraftian and weird fiction community - is the way in which the creative flair exhibited by a significant number of artists contributing to contemporary Lovecraftian art and material culture extends beyond the actual objects d’art they fashion, leading many of them to produce supporting, faux-documentation which frames their work in the context of a wider, Lovecraftian metanarrative. A typical example of this would be the supplementary material included by the HPLHS in their Dark Adventure Radio Theatre cds, such as old newspaper clippings, pages torn fom a diary, or an old photograph, all of whch contribute to an immersive engagement in the story they are telling.

Such is also the case with the work of Providence-based artist Gage Prentiss, whose work has appeared previously on this blog. Today’s offering is the fourth in a series of Lovecraftian netsuke
which Gage has created over the last few years, accompanied by a beautifully-produced docket which appears to contain a catalogue entry for the piece from the archives of the Rumtucket Trading Company. This level of additional detail and verisimilitude (echoing Lovecraft’s own creative modus operandi) which, increasingly, producers of Lovecaftian art and sculpture are including as part of their work, really demonstrates in a positive fashion the dedication and committment exhibited by so much of the Lovecraftian fandom to contributing to, revitalising - and, indeed, reconceptualising - both the Lovecaft mythos and the community which surrounds it.

More of Gage Prentiss’ work can be found here; Gage is also producing a commemorative statue to Lovecraft, which will hopefully be unveiled in Providence for NecronomiCon 2019, which you can support here.