This One Who’s Blind, She’s the One That Can See

Ectoplasm is a term used in spiritualism to denote a substance or spiritual energy “exteriorized” by physical mediums. It was coined in 1894 by psychical researcher Charles Richet. Although the term is widespread in popular culture, the physical existence of ectoplasm is not accepted by science.

This One Who’s Blind, She’s The One That Can See was completed in 2016.

I made the scene because I was interested in Ectoplasm photos, clearly hoaxes fashioned from cheesecloth, gauze or other natural substances. By the late ninteenth century, people really believed this was true, and thought that a camera could capture images of ectoplasm, of ghosts and other spiritual entities.

The Camera

For this scene, I had to build a camera.

I made it from of paper, old pieces of metal, and wood.

The Medium

I experimented with many different looks for the mouse, and a lot of techniques and shapes for the ectoplasm, before I decided to go for a more expressive look.

Wetplates by Julie Loen

At the tailor

An old scarf becomes an excellent tweed suit for the photographer.

Sculpting the stove.

This was the first time I sculpted a larger piece of furniture. I got the advice to use Supersculpey instead of Fimo,  and there was so much more I could do now.

I painted it in acrylic and metallic paint.

The fern

is made from paper, painted and varnished, and wire.