Ectoplasmic Photography

Recently I was indulging in a favorite guilty pleasure: Documentaries and investigation-Shows about the Paranormal. If it involves anything from Bigfoot to UFOs i'm fascinated.
The particular show I caught the other day was discussing photographs that captured what was said to be ectoplasm. Ectoplasam being a smokey substance secreted from the various orifices of Mediums. Seances were very popular in the early 1900's. A Medium would be invited, and everyone would sit together in the dark, in the hopes of making contact. During some seances flash photographs would be taken..
The results are what you see above. Ectoplasmic Photography. As you can tell they arrange from unbelievable to disgusting. I have been very considerate and not posted some of the grosser ones that can be found online through Google.
Most of these photos were later proven to be hoaxes(duh!). The Medium found to be using smoke, dry ice, cotton, cheesecloth, and various other methods to achieve this effect when the flash bulb went off.

Long story short: I love these photos (The more fantastical, less-disgusting ones). The above photo on the right is amazing. There are multiple different ones featuring photos of people floating in the middle of "ectoplasm". Maybe i'm alone on this one, but I think they're really cool!

I would love to do a series of bizarre black and white drawings depicting this paranormal phenomena!

Strangers with Candy

"Hello, I'm Jerri Blank. Thirty-two years ago I dropped out of high school and ran away from home. Oh, I made a lot of friends... did a lot of time. I was a boozer, a user and a loser. I stole the TV... Did some more time. But now I'm back in school! And though the faces may have changed, the hassles are just the same."
                                                                       -Strangers with Candy


I love that show! Amy Sedaris is amazing as forty-six year-old derelict Jerri Blank. If you've never seen this edgy Comedy Central cult classic(YOU SHOULD GO BUY IT ON AMAZON NOW!), it's about an ex-con picking up the pieces of her life and going back to school in an attempt to improve her life.

Ever since I first started the application process to Grad School I kept making connections between myself and the journey of Jerri. I was of course joking...mostly. But ya know, maybe there is some truth to Strangers With Candy.

Not much has changed, college is just how I left it nine years ago. So naturally I imagined myself in Jerri Blank orthopedic loafers as I walked onto campus this past Wednesday. I immediately decided to post these feelings to Facebook. My status for that day read:

It's my first day of Grad School and i'm feeling a little like Strangers With Candy....Will the kids like me? Will they think i'm cool? Good thing i'm wearing the turtleneck sweater I bought at The Comfort Zone...

All the old expectations and anxieties were still there. I guess no matter how many times I go to a new school, or start a new job, first-day jitters won't be something I'll easily shake off.

Anyhoo...

My first week of classes are over! I did it! I survived! And even though the hassles were just the same, something other than the faces changed. I changed.

There is no doubt the next three years are going to be hard, but this time around i'm ready for whatever academia throws my way!

Good times!!