Hairnomicon: Communiques from Beyond the Chair (The Preview)
One misty night in New Orleans, a group of spiritualist amateurs attempt to contact the spirits of their favorite departed hairdressers. Their innocent conjuring is cut short when an unintended guest makes a host of a hostess.
I've had many people ask about my new book HAIRNOMICON: COMMUNIQUES FROM BEYOND THE CHAIR. I decided to do a Q&A to answer some of the obvious questions as well as how you can get a copy (skip to link at bottom if you like).
From HAIRNOMICON: COMMUNIQUES FROM BEYOND THE CHAIR
WTF IS HAIRNOMICON...?
HAIRNOMICON: COMMUNIQUÉS FROM BEYOND THE CHAIR is a photo story book that pays tributes to manipulated ghost photography of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, occult and ghost horror films.
WHY?
HAIRNOMICON was created as an offering to Bayou St. Blonde (a creative hair event produced by the Left Brain Group). It was an effort to create a narrative driven work that included thinly veiled messages, hidden ghostly figures and of course amazing hairstyles by the talented artists of the Left Brain Group. I wanted to make was a fun, cheeky throwback to 1970s occult horror films. After years of photographing hair styles I thought that it was time to do something different and story driven. I wanted to make something that I had never before seen.
From HAIRNOMICON: COMMUNIQUES FROM BEYOND THE CHAIR
WHAT IS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THIS BOOK?
The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall. Isn't she a doll?
This work was inspired by films such as Sleepy Hollow (cartoon), The Blair Witch Project, The Legend of Hell House, the books of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren and of course William Mumler’s alleged spirit photography from the late nineteenth century.
As a child I was fascinated with ghost stories. It inevitably led to a desire to see a picture of one. In the 1980s it was rare to find these elusive photographs but once in a while I’d come across one. I remember the first time I saw the famous photo of the "Brown Lady of Raynham Hall". The image of the spectral figure descending an ancient staircase terrified me. I became addicted to that feeling.
HOW WAS IT MADE?
After years of making images that emulated the look and feel of those old ghost photographs I had yet to make a complete body of work. Many of the images were manipulated in Photoshop. Some of the techniques used by William Mumler were emulated in the creation of these photos. I tried to make it as authentic as possible, including the spirit writing written in reverse on the frames of some choice photos.
HAIRNOMICON...was shot in Astoria, New York; Santa Clarita, California; New Orleans, Louisiana. Hair by Cyd Charisse, Dante Pronio, Garrett Markenson, Brittni Scandaliato. Makeup by Javier Mena. Players: Alexis Guerra, Emily Komer, Mazzy McDaid, Valeria Ruelas, Melissa Martinelli and Aryn Detres.
HOW MANY PAGES IS IT?
There are 64 pages in the book. Photos are full-paged with plenty of detail.
WHAT'S THE RELEASE DATE?
April 3, 2018 will be the official release date, however copies will be available for $20 at Bayou St. Blonde in New Orleans and is included in the VIP swag bags. If you order a presale copy then it will be shipped on March 30, 2018.
Click the book cover for your copy.