#202 “Coco”
From Coco in British Columbia, Canada
Knowing that the name “Coco” is French for “little pet,” one might natural expect that an artist with this moniker would produce an illustration with lofty themes of innocence and purity. Perhaps a mother wolf coddling her young might be appropriate, or maybe even a transcendental vision of a human and a wolf frolicking together in a field of heather, communing with each other in perfect harmony. But as you can see from the illustration above, assumptions don’t always translate into realities, and sometimes our expectations can be shattered so wildly that our minds are left reeling with the difficult task of reconciling our predictions with actuality.
This wolf, although not overtly engaged in any particular scene of violence, is one of the most frightening that I have received. He is not depicted in profile or presented at a distance. This wolf is up close, personal, and in your face. There’s no denying his presence as he locks eyes with the viewer, his fangs and jowls smoking with bloody execution as if he has just finished unseaming fresh victims from the naves to the chops. He is overtly dangerous, chillingly ominous, and certainly menacing.
When considering exactly how I would go about constructing this post, I decided early on that I wanted to pair this illustration with a wolf-related song that was just as sinister and forbidding as the picture. I started researching dark and gloomy werewolf-related compositions and seemed to be having no luck, but all of a sudden the lupine gods stepped in, and with a random youtube click, I had stumbled upon a werewolf melody that was too applicable to be denied. First of all the name of the artist is Cocorosie. I’m sure you can see the connection between the name of the musical artist and the name of the artist behind this illustration. Secondly, this song, entitled “Werewolf,” seems to accurately encapsulate the full experience that Coco offers in her picture. When you listen to the song, you’ll notice a strangely conflicted combination of sweetness and savagery that somehow seems to works all too well. There is an innocence in the voice, tone, and musicality that is very enticing, but the lyrics and theme of the song are undeniably disturbing and fit this illustration like a murderous glove.
