Pepper’s Ghost

Pepper’s Ghost is a technique used to make a spectral figure appear in a space through the use of an optical illusion. It is done by having the subject look into a room from a certain position. Looking on, there is a pain of glass, usually at a 45 degree angle, and a space behind this glass. Off to the side, there is a person standing, who cannot be seen by the on-looker. The reflection of the person is seen in the glass, and so they appear transparent in the area the on-looker can see. By lighting the areas differently, you can make the reflection appear and disappear in the eyes of the on-looker. This is an old version of projecting an image, and is used in attractions like theme parks and museums.

This technique could be used in my own work to show the development of projecting ghosts. It’s 2 room set up could also be used to hide the projector, making the ghost appear out of thin air. The places where the technique is used could be digitised with the use of projection  mapping, updating the technique to fit with modern times.

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