Is the art for Insidious Roots upside down?
The Kitchen Table forum
Posted on Feb. 29, 2024, 7:48 p.m. by legendofa
I'm trying to make sense of the art for Insidious Roots. I have enough experience with plants to know that the roots usually go at the bottom. For the rest of the art, though, the white area makes more sense as a city skyline with spires and bridges, as seen on lands like Mountain or Island. And yeah, there are floating chunks of building, but the way the roots intertwine through the shape suggests that the black is negative space.
As far as I can tell, it's either very abstract and symbolic, or it makes more sense the other way.
Gidgetimer says... #3
After looking at the art closely because of your question, and since Insidious Roots is set on Ravnica, I'd say that it is a bit of an abstraction and you are mistaken about the black being negative space. The green lines are obviously the roots representing Oba's influence. The black is the underdark with the bright city above it and the green buildings are representing parts of the city that are under Oba's influence.
February 29, 2024 9:27 p.m.
Gidgetimer Not suggesting you're wrong, that's a very reasonable explanation. The details that are throwing me, though, are around the edges. On the right side, just to the left of the large white point, is a fairly thick horizontal white line that looks like an inverted bridge crossing the silhouette of an inverted white spire. There are also indistinct inverted spire shapes in blue-gray among the white. The light area's the city and the green is Oba's literal and metaphorical roots spreading, no question.
If nothing else, the focus of the composition is driven downward and outward, which is pretty much the opposite of typical design. Could be a stylistic choice made for discomfort's sake.
Unless the intended vanishing point is above the horizon, rather than on the horizon? The viewer is looking upward and outward from the undercity?
February 29, 2024 9:45 p.m.
FormOverFunction says... #5
It could certainly be a very stylized inverted/negative concept (with the stark black and white).... but... the closer I look at it, and with the normal concept of what roots are... it really does look to me like they might have just inserted it upside down.
February 29, 2024 10:13 p.m.
Gidgetimer says... #6
legendofa: Up and out from Undercity was what I was suggesting. I have no strong feelings about it and could very well be wrong, I just think that it reads correctly the way it was printed. Though I can see the argument for it being upside down. Third possibility is that it is "upside down" but that it is intended to be a reflection in some body of water on the moor that now houses Vitu-Ghazi. I find this less likely since the origin of the roots would be towards the top in that case.
March 1, 2024 6:09 a.m.
I see the buildings as a representation of Ravnica’s foundations - drawing concrete slabs would not be particularly interesting, so the artist used the mirrored silhouette of the structures to show the underground aspects which ensure the city remains structural.
Surrounding the “foundation” with vines and depicting vines seeping through the foundation thus fits with the flavor.
That said, my understanding is that most MTG artists are pretty cool and appreciate fan mail. You could probably try messaging Jeremy Wilson on Twitter and ask for his thoughts on the art.
March 1, 2024 9:45 a.m.
Caerwyn Just took you up on that. Not Twitter (I don't use that sort of social media in general), but he has an email contact prominently displayed on his website. Let's see what happens.
March 1, 2024 6:13 p.m.
Ha, I'm not too sure about upside down or not, but it does look pretty fun.
The only thing though is that roots don't have thorns, so, maybe none of it is roots? Actually seems like a little bit of a missed opportunity just because actual mycorrhizal root colonies look amazing. Check out an image search of something like "mycorrhizal roots pine" they are so cool.
March 1, 2024 9:37 p.m.
FormOverFunction says... #10
I’ll second what Caerwyn said about contacting the artists. My friend and I were trying to decipher what was written on Joven’s belt buckle on Joven's Tools and he emailed the artist on a whim. Got a near-immediate response and it was great. Made my antique shop deck 300% cooler. (It says “They’re mine, they’re all mine” by the way)
March 2, 2024 8:21 p.m.
I did email Jeremy Wilson. Got a quick initial response saying he would be happy to talk about, but wanted to know if it was something official. I said no, just my own curiosity, and I haven't heard back for that one yet.
March 2, 2024 8:26 p.m.
The art is and always has been in right-side up. Quoting Jeremy Wilson with his permission,
"So in most pieces I’m looking for some conceptual element in the desired “mood” or story that I can echo throughout the painting. For example, here I’m showing Trostani’s influence or “corruption” if you will on the city. Directly through the roots but also through the mark making technique. Instead of painting the city, I carved blocks of the spires to get what is essentially a woodblock register with the paint. I did this in two layers, the green and the white, between those two layers and the gritty texture of the woodblock registering on the painting I get an abstract, very textured duality. This mirrors the light and dark of the city of Ravnica! As far as the orientation goes, that was called for in the art description so that was never up for debate."
Jeremy, if you happen to see this, thanks once again for your time and analysis for a random Internet person!
March 4, 2024 8:36 p.m.
FormOverFunction That is such a cool tidbit on Joven's Tools!
legendofa says... #2
The trailing roots would also make sense spiraling downward from a symbolic tangled constriction around the city spires, instead of rising up from and indistinct ground area. It's clearly more symbolic than naturalistic, but the composition just makes more sense to me if if it gets flipped. Anyone else?
February 29, 2024 7:53 p.m.