Page 59 - NyghtVision Magazine Volume 3 #1

FRANCOIS DEWYNTER 59

I suppose on a personal level, I am
guilty as charged. I prefer, however, to
make a distinction between “Goth” and
“Gothic” when it comes to The House of

NyghtFalcon. The firm’s work is Gothic.
Francois: Which of course begs the question,
“What is Gothic?”

Falcon: At one point I had been asked this so many
times that I decided to do some research online. I
found many interesting answers. According to several
references, "Gothic" most often refers to a type of architec-
ture. So, how that word became synonymous with a genre

of dress, behavior, or a way of looking at the world, I can’t
say. However, there were two other answers I came across
that were both interesting and revealing: “Gothic poetry

can be defined as in-depth poetry that portrays deep hu-
man emotions. Gothic poems are usually sad and tell tales
of heartbreak, death, sorrow, and sadness.” This was from
Ask.com, I believe. Now, according to Yahoo Answers, Goth-
ic art in general and Gothic poetry in specific are defined

more by the specific subjects they center around: death,
sadness, love, blood, good vs. evil, love vs. hate, longing...
Francois: And how does this relate to the work of the firm?

Falcon: Just as Gothic art centers around the expression
of deep human emotions, so does the work of The House of
NyghtFalcon. While it may have been fashionable in times
past to openly discuss or create art around “deep human
emotions,” it isn’t now. The modern world has made it clear

that it prefers shallow, superficial expressions of emotion.
There is a great scene at the end of Aldous Huxley’s Brave
New World in which one of the last “human humans”—not

the product of genetic manipulation—falls in love with a
woman who has been conditioned. When he quotes Shake-
speare to her, she responds with words from a then-popular
song: “Hug me till you drug me honey.” And so it is now.
Francois: Sounds judgmental.

Falcon: Only if you take it that way. It is a statement of
fact. Look around you. Listen to the words of the songs that

nyghtvision magazine volume 3, number 1, WINTER 2013