Wenyon & Gamble Exhibitions

Wenyon & Gamble Ghost

Home Exhibitions   Boston Athenaeum   NY Hall of Science   Fruitmarket   MIT   Art Tower Mito   Norwich Castle Museum Articles:   Baker   Benjamin   Ellmann   Hagen   Lillington   Niedzwiecka   McQuaid   Pollitt   Raymo   Silver   van Stein   Wenyon Essays:   Asai   Balken   Briers   Bryson   Friese   Moriyama   Nakagawa   Platt   Popper   Titterington   Wenyon & Gamble   Zec Online... Press Release issued by Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service, 17 October 2002 web page © 2006 Wenyon & Gamble and authors mail(AT)wengam.com Modified: 2 January 2006	An experimental prototype of an illusionist display cabinet by Susan Gamble and Michael Wenyon is on show at Norwich Castle until Sunday 24 November, 2002 Ghost is a seemingly ordinary museum display cabinet where moving images suddenly appear inside objects displayed on plinths: a ship floats inside a bottle, a manic torturer flails inside a teapot. Artists Susan Gamble and Michael Wenyon have made the cabinet during a residency at the Castle in 2001. The phantom images refer to Norwich Castle’s history as a prison, as well as the museum’s collections and pictures of the Castle today. It is being displayed for the first time at the museum, alongside cabinets containing silver tableware and metal sculptures.
	Ghost was inspired by a Victorian theatrical illusion, 'Pepper's Ghost'. 19th century audiences were thrilled by this device, which used a hidden stage and mirrors to show life-sized optical fairies and ghosts on stage alongside real actors. 'Pepper's Ghost' was used at the Egyptian Hall in London in 1876 with images of Lewis Carroll's Alice. Wenyon & Gamble's work often reflects their interest in technological media and three-dimensional illusion. Now the artists have brought the classical ‘Pepper’s Ghost’ technique up to date, using a hidden liquid-crystal monitor and mirror to reflect a digital video image onto the mirror and over the scene.
	Ghost, Wenyon & Gamble, prototype display cabinet with objects and projected video, 2001/2002
	In 2000, Wenyon & Gamble presented an installation of 54 holograms of books at the Yerba Buena Centre for the Arts in San Francisco. The work, named Bibliomancy, was made while they were artists in residence at the Boston Athenaeum, one of the oldest libraries in America. They have also been artists-in-residence at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Wenyon & Gamble's residency at Norwich Castle and Ghost have received support under the Year of the Artist award scheme through East England Arts. The role of the ‘The Whipmaster’ was played by Larry Litt. Further information can be found at the Wenyon & Gamble web site: http://wengam.com/ Norwich Castle is open Monday – Saturday 10.30am until 5.00pm and on Sundays from 2.00pm until 5.00pm. Press/Media Enquiries to: Alison Smith, tel. 01603 495895 or Susan Gamble & Michael Wenyon wengam@myprivacy.ca

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