In DARKLING, Hochbaum revisits a place that once held the weight of childhood fears—a shed at his parents’ home, known to him and his sister as the "witches' house." By day, it loomed ominously; by night, it became a source of terror, sparking sibling dares where his sister, the braver of the two, would coax him to approach the shadows.
In this piece, Hochbaum’s niece Carly embodies that lingering childhood fear. She represents the unease of a child—the same trepidation once stirred by his sister’s teasing. Her presence brings this memory to life, grounding DARKLING in a powerful lineage of recollection and imagination.
 
This Halloween 2024 special edition is an archival pigment print, mounted on wood and preserved with a custom encaustic of beeswax, dammar crystals, and carnauba wax, eliminating the need for glass. Framed in custom deep matte black pine with a dark wax finish, DARKLING is signed, titled on the back, and ready to hang.
 
Halloween 2024 edition
13" x 13" x 1.75"
Arichival pigment print with wax