Of all the seasonal and year long creatures to be spooked by, for me personally since I was very young and menaced one night by a deranged and nightgown-barefooted granny on our dark neighborhood street, it’s always been about the ghosts for me. I’ll digest anything on the subject, and have lived 5 years in a certifiably haunted old building in Brooklyn… all of these cornerstones happily in the past. I still adore them as things go… there’s such a strong response, almost visceral lizard-brained one to something so gossamer. Even today I still live in a big old victorian house that by all rights should be haunted, but if it is, they seem to be cool with us or at least work opposing shifts. Regardless the result is an obvious Victorian flavor to all these not-ladies and not-gentlemen.

Ghosts play with your senses and perception. They can be anywhere and are never really here at all. They’re memories of people, trauma and  places. There’s no need for gore or slash and rip, making them the smart person’s halloween monster. I love them and if all ghost stories are really love stories then mine is going strong after all these years. I began a series of portraits of some are from experience or the cautious whisperings of others.  Just as many are downright lies, just like ghosts are.

This is one of those 52 Weeks Projects that don’t continue as a weekly exercise and the uppermost ghost at top is the latest new addition to the ongoing collection. Each are on a piece of paper measuring about 9″ x12″… and there’s something sort of perfect about that scale. Not so big as to become aggressive or domineering, but alluring you in closer. I hope to do a few more soon as work clears up a bit- Hopefully by the new year, but until then, please stay home and safe this Halloween!