Dorian Cleavenger, Vol. 3: Trinity [Paperback]

Dorian Cleavenger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2004

Dorian Cleavenger's paintings are a one-of-kind combination of reality, fantasy, and horror. Erotica tinged with a dark nightmare quality is what his legion of fans have come back again and again to enjoy. In this third showcase of Cleavenger's fevered imagination, more arresting images of fantasy women are featured.

Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: SQP Inc.; Bilingual edition (July 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865621101
• ISBN-13: 978-0865621107
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 8.7 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,709,994 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars VISIONS OF DARK BEAUTY, August 26, 2005

By 

Tim Janson (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Dorian Cleavenger, Vol. 3: Trinity (Paperback)

I remember the first time I a saw Dorian Cleavenger's art, and I even remember the first piece. It was at a big comic book show in the Detroit area and Dorian was one of the many artists there. Behind him on display was a painting of the character of Julie from Return of the Living Dead part III. The painting depicted Julie just after she has self-mutilated her body with needles, wire, chains, and shards of glass. It's the most shocking scene in the film and Dorian brilliantly captured this scene. Trinity is the third collection of Dorian's work from SQP and delivers 104 pages of Dorian's full-color paintings including many two-page spreads. This is an over-sized book printed on glossy stock, designed for the collector.

Cleavenger's women are beautiful, but dark and dangerous and often seem tinged with a deep sadness which mystifies the viewer. His creations can seem to have been born right out of the Garden of Eden, or right out of the very depths of hell. You'll find mostly the latter in this collection. The striking thing about Dorian's art is that this isn't the stuff of mere pin-ups. Each painting seems to have its own dark story it wants to tell. The book begins with a biography of Cleavenger and throughout the book he shares his thoughts on his creative process, the use of models, and other subjects. The great pieces are too many to list as Cleavenger is always consistently good, but let me note a few of my favorite paintings in this book.

"Vampire Slayer" finds an erotic and over-powering female vampire who has just dispatched the foolish vampire slayer who sought to drive a stake through her heart. "The Contract" is a masterpiece of dark fantasy as the angel of death cradles a fallen woman whose time, it seems, has run out. In "The Consummation" an Egyptian Princess has embraced her mummified lover right inside his sarcophagus.

A female Were-shark is the subject of "The Catch" as she hangs helpless on a lonely fisherman's wharf. The masochistic painting entitled "The Poet" depicts a tortured poet, her walls completely covered by her works that she's nailed there, while her body is covered with scars from a whip that have been self-inflicted. One can only wonder what kind of game was being played as a demure, white angel lies on the ground, and two arrow shafts piercing her body, in "The Game". "The Pledge" shows a female warrior, kneeling before an altar, chalice in hand. In a tribute to classic Universal monsters, Dorian presents "Chiller" with an exotic female mummy in the foreground, and behind the images of the Boris Karloff mummy and Frankenstein's monster, the Lon Chaney Jr. Wolfman, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. The book also contains an index giving the title of each piece.

Dorian Cleavenger is a true master of dark fantasy and this book is further proof that he remains at the top of his game.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Different Dorian Collection, October 11, 2009

By 

Christopher R. Travers "Einhverfr" (Chelan, WA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dorian Cleavenger, Vol. 3: Trinity (Paperback)

To be honest, I enjoyed this collection a bit less than his other two. However, this has a great deal to offer artistically as well. While the others probably deserve 6 stars (as they are AMAZING), I will have to settle for five on this collection.

Dorian's works range from Gothic interpretations of the pin-up tradition to amazing and original art which are based on abstract concepts but given human form. His works shock, horrify, astound, amaze, and delight. Often even where erotic content is offered, the emotional nature makes the work astounding rather than sexually arousing (though they are both intellectually and emotionally arousing).

There are some things I didn't find in this volume. While "Works and Visions" had "Flight" and "New Works and Vision" had "Life," the closest this collection comes is int he works entitled "Beauty" and "Envy," but these seem mediocre compared to past masterpieces. At the same time, I enjoyed the addition of black and white, charcoal works in this collection while the past ones were mostly acrylic. This hence helps round out the collection of any Dorian fan.

On the whole the art here is impressive, despite the fact that I felt that it was definitely in the shadow of previous works. The collection is still worth owning whether or not one is a Dorian fan.