“There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call ‘The Twilight Zone.'”
Rod Serling intoned that brilliant precis at the beginning of each episode in the first season of “The Twilight Zone.” These days I feel we’re living in an incredible new world, a zone that defies light and dark, and has no middle ground. It has little to do with the summit of our knowledge but certainly touches the pit of our fears. If only it were a Twilight Zone, then we’d know we’d wake up.
So what do these odd images of yesteryear have to do with the current world? In fact, they are artifacts of a time in the early 1950s when psychoanalysis was a stigma rather than a highly regarded therapy. These illustrations, which curiously and interestingly reflect the human condition in an artfully expressive manner, suggested a pejorative quality. They may just be an accurate portrait of the insecurity and the stress the world of today provokes. In any case, I’ve always found them compelling.
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