"The Haunting Horizon: A Reflection on David Hochbaum’s Ghost Ship Series"
Ghost Ship #1
David Hochbaum’s Ghost Ship series is an enigmatic voyage through the ephemeral and the eternal, a visual meditation on the impermanence of existence and the weight of memory. The series, which spans a considerable period in Hochbaum’s artistic journey, is marked by a recurring motif, the "squiggle", a shape that hovers over a vast, often tumultuous sea. This simple yet profound form becomes the anchor of the series, guiding the viewer through an ocean of meaning that touches on history, mythology, and the deeply personal.
At first glance, the series appears almost minimalist, with its stark monochromatic palette and repetitive compositional structure. Yet, as one delves deeper, the works reveal themselves to be anything but simple. The "squiggle," a shape that could be interpreted as a wave, a serpent, or an abstract symbol, takes on a life of its own. It is both a literal form and a metaphorical one, embodying the very concept of a ghost ship—an ethereal presence caught between worlds, neither fully alive nor entirely gone. In this way, the Ghost Ship series is not just about the physical act of painting but about the philosophical act of pondering existence and the invisible forces that guide us.
For Hochbaum, the "squiggle" is not merely a decorative element but a recurring character within his broader body of work. Often scrawled in the sky, lurking in the backgrounds, or emerging from the windows of his towering structures, the "squiggle" has long played a supporting role in his narratives. It is a shape imbued with personality and intent, moving through the various landscapes Hochbaum creates. In the Ghost Ship series, however, this character takes center stage, becoming the main protagonist in a story of transition and journey. The "squiggle" here is no longer a background player but the focal point, seemingly on its way to the next landscape, in transit to be part of another story, another world.
Ghost Ship #6
The sea, rendered in shades of gray and black, is a crucial element in these works. The water depicted in the Ghost Ship series holds a special significance—it comes from photographs taken by Hochbaum at a location in New York State his family lovingly called "Secret Lake." This lake, nestled in Harriman State Park, was discovered by his father near a defunct summer camp and became a cherished spot for family swimming trips, spanning generations. The lake's water, rich with personal history, is a profound connection between the artist and his past, making its presence in the series deeply meaningful.
When Hochbaum first began working on these pieces, he collaged three separate images of the lake together to create one expansive body of water. He spent considerable time contemplating this blank expanse, a monochromatic sky painted above it, before deciding to elevate the "squiggle" from its usual role as a background element to the main subject. This decision reflects a shift in the artist's focus, giving the "squiggle" the reverent attention it deserves, no longer lost in the background noise of the city sky but fully realized as the protagonist of the narrative.
Hochbaum’s use of the "squiggle" is particularly fascinating when considered through the lens of mythology and religious history. The form echoes the ouroboros, the ancient symbol of a serpent eating its own tail, representing the cyclical nature of time and the eternal return. This is fitting for a series that grapples with the themes of memory and erasure, creation and destruction. In one piece, Ghost Ship #2, the "squiggle" was painted over and transformed into a new work, Nocturne #1, a testament to the artist's willingness to let go of the past in favor of new beginnings.
Ghost Ship #2
Nocturne #1
This act of transformation is reminiscent of the myth of Lethe, the river of forgetfulness in Greek mythology, where souls drink to forget their earthly lives before being reincarnated. The obliteration of Ghost Ship #2 signifies the erasure of memory, yet its essence lingers in the subsequent work, much like the way memories persist, even as they fade.
The series also draws upon religious symbolism, with the "squiggle" acting as a kind of divine or cosmic presence, hovering above the chaos of the world below. It is at once a guide and a mystery, leading the viewer through the labyrinth of existence. The repetition of this form across the series suggests a ritualistic quality, as if the act of painting the "squiggle" is itself a form of prayer or meditation. This is particularly poignant given Hochbaum’s own reflections on the series, where he describes the process of creating these works as a form of prayer, even if not in the traditional religious sense. The "squiggle," then, becomes a symbol of faith—not in a religious doctrine, but in the act of creation itself, in the belief that through art, one can make sense of the world’s chaos.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the Ghost Ship series is its connection to sound and music, particularly in Ghost Ship #7, which became the cover for the album "Keepsakes" by Hackedepicciotto. The "squiggle" in this context is more than just a visual element; it represents the "Psychic Noise" or "Static" that Hochbaum often references in his works—a noise born out of the intense energy of living in Manhattan for 20 years. This "Static" is an accumulation of the energy from millions of people surrounding, living, working, and surviving, a cacophony of urban life that infiltrates the mind. Hochbaum, who has dealt with tinnitus for over two decades, experiences this noise as an ever-present backdrop, a hum that can only be drowned out by the other noises of the world or through the act of creation. For him, making art is a way to quiet this relentless noise, to find peace amidst the chaos.
The album "Keepsakes" by Hackedepicciotto, for which Ghost Ship #7 serves as the cover, adds yet another layer of meaning. The album is dedicated to friends the duo has loved and lost, with each song acting as a tribute. Hochbaum's inclusion in this project is not only an artistic collaboration but also a deeply personal honor, a way to be part of this tribute as a friend. The ghost ship, in this context, becomes a vessel not just of memory, but of sound, carrying the echoes of the past into the present, a testament to the enduring bonds of friendship and the solace found in creative expression.
Ghost Ship #7
David Hochbaum’s Ghost Ship series is a masterful exploration of the transient nature of existence, the persistence of memory, and the search for meaning in a world that is often chaotic and incomprehensible. Through the recurring motif of the "squiggle," Hochbaum has created a visual language that is both deeply personal and universally resonant, drawing on themes from mythology, religion, and history to create a body of work that speaks to the eternal human quest for understanding. The Ghost Ship series is a reminder that, like the ghost ship, we are all adrift in the vast ocean of life, carried by forces we may never fully comprehend, yet guided by the hope that, through art, we can find our way.
