Spirit Vessels
Sculpture, Art direction and Photography
2021
2021
‘Spirit Vessels’ represents an ongoing research project I carried out surrounding the relationship between 19th century spiritualism and technology.
Inspired by the ways in which the female body was viewed in 19th century spirit photography - as ‘vessel’ or tool to communicate with the supernatural, this project aimed to restore autonomy to the subject of spirit photography. By imagining and creating physical ‘vessels’ that may be used as supernatural communication tools the role of spiritual technology is shifted from the women’s bodies - these images seek to present the women of spiritualism not as paranormal object but instead as operator of these tools.
Spiritualism in the 19th century was a movement led by women, who reclaimed the degrading mysticism through which their bodies were viewed in order to achieve voice and autonomy on their own terms.
Inspired by the ways in which the female body was viewed in 19th century spirit photography - as ‘vessel’ or tool to communicate with the supernatural, this project aimed to restore autonomy to the subject of spirit photography. By imagining and creating physical ‘vessels’ that may be used as supernatural communication tools the role of spiritual technology is shifted from the women’s bodies - these images seek to present the women of spiritualism not as paranormal object but instead as operator of these tools.
Spiritualism in the 19th century was a movement led by women, who reclaimed the degrading mysticism through which their bodies were viewed in order to achieve voice and autonomy on their own terms.