In 2015, Robert Eggers released his first feature-length film, a moody, folk horror gem known as The Witch. The dark tale was told masterfully by skilled actors committed to their roles, but it was an inscrutable goat named Black Phillip who had us on tenterhooks. (Yeah, it’s melodramatic, I’m trying to set a mood)
In early September, while Michelle and I were plotting out Witchtober — a month of witch-related art projects done in preparation for Hallowe’en — we had many tentative options scribbled in our notes: drawings, paintings, dolls, sculptures, masks. But what would be a worthy finale to all of that witch crafting?
When Black Phillip’s name was mentioned (in hushed tones, no less), we both thought it’d be brilliant to recreate that enigmatic goat as part of the stable of monsters we’ve made, but neither one of us had ever put a creature like that together before. Luckily, for me, my part of the project was fairly minimal — just some wire work, horn sculpting, and throwing together a serviceable paddock for the animal to graze in. Michelle would have to put form and texture to the wool.
So, like a banished puritan feverishly chopping firewood, Michelle went at her task with a passion, needling night and day, experimenting with different fur techniques, and trying to comprehend goat anatomy on the fly. I labored on the paddock and the barn (and that terrifying witch mask from last week) and watched her anxiously from of the corner of my eye. Would everything take shape on time? Did we make the neck to long? Not long enough? If Michelle pricked her finger, would her blood imbue the goat with a sinister energy? (again, I’m just setting a mood)
Finally, like the devil delivering unto young Thomasin a life of sweet butter and fine dresses, Michelle delivered unto my humble paddock an adorably terrifying Black Phillip whom I honestly have to turn sideways if I sense his goat eyes staring at me from across the room.
If you’d like to see us cast this last spell of Witchtober, you can see the whole video at the link below.