Why have hybrid creatures haunted our imagination for thousands of years? From the fantastical beings of Hieronymus Bosch to the unsettling creations of contemporary artists, monsters have long reflected our deepest fears, desires and anxieties. In this richly illustrated talk, artist Lindsay Pickett explores the enduring fascination with hybrid beings in art, mythology and the human imagination. Drawing on the work of artists including Bosch, Salvador Dalí, Francis Bacon, Patricia Piccinini and his own series of dark surreal paintings, Creatures of Consequence, he examines how imagined creatures can become powerful symbols of identity, transformation, environmental change and the subconscious. Blending art history, psychology, mythology and contemporary painting, this talk asks why we continue to invent monsters—and what these extraordinary beings reveal about ourselves.