Photography: The Ectoplasm Project

The Ectoplasm Project

By Tif Robinette
QuailBellMagazine.com

 I have been fascinated by the paranormal history of ectoplasm lately. In the late 1800’s, (at the height of Victorian ideals of women’s bodies conforming to bourgeois societal repression and dangerously restrictive clothing), the phenomenon of ectoplasm was sensationalized. During parlor room séances, entranced women were purported to leak white substances out of every orifice. The substance would resemble string, a fine veil, or gelatinous milky matter. 

Many photographs exist; proving the intrigue this paranormal phenomenon caused believers and disbelievers alike. 

When squeezed hard enough into an unnatural and idealized inhuman/post human form, far more monstrous bits slip out through the cracks. Like the mediums and photographers who proudly documented (staged or otherwise) ectoplasm, I am interested in sensationalizing the bits that ooze out when we are squeezed. 

These photographs of close friends were taken at a gathering hosted on Saturday, October 26th, 2013, in the midst of the autumnal season. During the harvest time, the veil thins between the living and the dead, a perfect moment to explore images of otherworldly forms.

#Ectoplasm #Photography #TifRobinette #Séance #VictorianEra #VictorianWomen