illustration to accompany the article ‘And then we danced, on hosting ghosts and ghosting’ by Eva Susova for The Couch.

This image resembles the urge to liberate through movement. The ghosts and the pollen are placed over an image of a group of female Butoh dancers—an image with a ghost-like appearance, with strong black-and-white contrast and ethereal postures. Butoh dancing arose in the late 50s, influenced by the post-war era and postmodernism, and broke free from traditional forms of Japanese performance. Through the movement, the dancers in this image seem to break free or rise above. The hosted ghosts rise with them, or evaporate out of them, as that which liberates and dances with them, or that which they are liberated from.

cut out #1 — cavolo nero cut out #2 — cavolo nero cut out #3 — curly kale cut out #4 — curly kale cut out #5 — pointed cabbage cut out #6 — sea kale cut out #7 — sea kale

drawing #1 — face drawing #2 — face drawing #3 — person holding sculpture drawing #4 — figure
drawing #5 — face

drawing #I — chair