A continuing fascination with the Ghost Train and haunted houses. Could these be made to be really scary? How could you, in a short space of time introduce unease and fear into someone? Shock is easy, but a lingering fear is something different. Typically, a ride on a fairground Ghost train is very short, the one at Dingles fairground museum* was timed at 17 seconds!

 

I have a number of ideas - this is an idea for an automaton. It would take the form of a haunted house and use visual puppets. But it would also incorporate tactile elements, imagine seeing the ghost and feeling it touch you.

 

*Sadly this will close at the end of 2024 season.

 

Watchers 2019, 300 x 600mm Ink on tea stained paper.

 

Speculative automata. Heads turn to look at viewer when a person approaches cabinet. Range finders determine location and distance of viewer.

Advisor 2022, 300 x 400mm Ink/watercolour on tea stained paper.

 

Speculative automata. Fortune telling machine that give advice tailored to spectator.