Not without My Ghosts

by Susan L. Aberth

The abiding presence of spiritualism in art, from af Klint to Susan Hiller Bringing together more than 30 international artists from the late 19th century to the present day, Not without My Ghosts surveys work inspired by spiritualism and its rich cultural history.

With original essays by art historian Susan L. Aberth and curators Simon Grant and Lars Bang Larsen, this publication explores the anti-authoritarian political agendas of 19th-century spiritualism and the movement’s close association to the history of feminism, as well as its continued influence on contemporary practitioners. Spanning diverse artistic approaches, Not without My Ghosts offers a unique insight into the ties that bind spirit and mediumistic art across the centuries.

111 pages, Paperback

Published November 2, 2021

About the author

Susan L. Aberth received her PhD in Art History from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York; her dissertation was on the art of Leonora Carrington. She is currently Assistant Professor of Art History at Bard College, New York, where she specializes in Latin American Art.

Reviews

[Nathalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Accompanying an exhibition by Hayward Gallery Touring and the Drawing Room in 2020-2021, the essays in this book provide a nice overview of women whose main practice is or was mediumistic and/or spiritualist art. However, each artist and her work is just briefly touched upon, perhaps as an impetus to visit the show or to give visitors just that extra bit of background information. Viewed as study material, the book is somewhat lacking, but nevertheless gives direction for further reading.