“So what, ghosts can’t hurt you. That’s what I thought then.” -Stephen King
Ghosts are all around us, though perhaps not quite as we imagine them. They are the lingering memories of those who went before, the mannerisms passed along through generations. They can be found in the whispers inside our minds in the 3 am darkness or the sudden evocation of a place long since archived to childhood days. Perhaps they are not whispy sprites – or indeed perhaps they are, who are we to say – but ghosts inhabit our world, right alongside us, every hour of every day.
Gaby Sahhar joined us from London in late August shortly after their show, Released, came down at Page Gallery in NYC. The gallery itself is quite small, the same dimensions as Sahhar’s London studio. For this show, they decided to create something quite large for this small space, immersing the viewer in a collage of archival imagery from London, New York and Brazil including parts of a protest, streets and sidewalks, mascots and more. The concept behind the work examined our process of articulation, particularly as related to the LGBTo learn more about this work and other aspects of Sahhar’s practice, listen to the complete interview.
Rhys Ziemba joined us to discuss, among other things, his current show, Enchanted Bullshit, at Art Cake. Ziemba has an interest in the material and ethereal worlds. In his art – and in the title of the show – he explores this juxtaposition of the mystical and the very real worlds. One impetus for the show was the poem Large Red Man Reading by Wallace Stevens, in which ghosts return to experience the small inconveniences of the physical world. To hear more about this show and other aspects of Rhys Ziemba’s work, listen to the complete interview.
A Few Words to Keep in your Pocket
Attune to the ghosts around you and learn what they have to teach.
Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android please click here. All weekly essay pieces in a shareable format are here. The full archive of interviews is here.
Books to Read
What are you reading? Add your titles to our reading list here. Gaby Sahhar is reading Broken Blue Line: How Life as Britain’s Supercop Broke Me by Alistaire Livingstone. Read Large Red Man Reading by Wallace Stevens here.
Deadlines:
Photographers 18 years of age and older are invited to submit work to the BBA Photography Prize 2022 – One Shot Award. One winner will receive 500 euros cash and international exposure. An additional 50 photographers will be selected by BBA to exhibit in Kühlhaus Berlin on a large digital display in late fall 2022. For more information and to submit your images, visit the website. Deadline is October 11.
Brainard Carey is an author, artist and educator. He is the director of Praxis for Aesthetics. He has written six books for artists, most recently Making it in the Art World.