[-empyre-] research creation and ectoplasm

[Serena Keshavjee]

This is such a timely forum for me.
There are wider discussions about Occulture going on, and at the same time, I am learning about how contemporary artists have responded to parapsychology archives. It’s great for me to hear more on this from Erika DeFreitas and Chryannne, whose work I have known only from a distance. Next week my students and I will be using the  embodied research-creation methodology to recreate a photograph of ectoplasm. We are doing this to learn about the technical side of analogue film, older cameras and lighting techniques. This weekend we are experimenting with home-made ectoplasm! I want to recreate the ectoplasmic hand that the Medium Mary Marshall excreted in the 1930s. It’s a large flat hand, but with texture and seemly weighty. Noting Erika and Jennifer referencing touch and the hand, in the 20th century ectoplasm moves from amorphous to shaped, and  mediums Palladino, Eva Carriere and Mary Marshall all produced ectoplasmic hands, which clearly parallel  emerging Modernist art, where the hand represents the artist as creator.


Dr. Serena Keshavjee
Professor
Coordinator, Curatorial Practices Stream, Cultural Studies MA Program
University of Winnipeg
515 Portage Ave
Winnipeg
R3B 2E9
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