Ghost[ed.] is a suite of eight limited-edition stone lithographs by eight artists, published in 2015. The project to realise it was devised and co-ordinated by Sue Baker Kenton and Nicole Polonsky, who met at one of ELP’s breakfasts for new members. Joining them as contributors to the suite are ELP’s own Caroline Whitehead, open access-user Edit Toaso, as well as Gino Ballantyne, Jessie Brennan, Tim Brown and Hen Coleman. Ghost[ed.] will be launched at an exhibition at Dean Clough in Halifax which runs from Saturday 13 June – Sunday 6 September 2015.

Ghost[ed.] evolved from the ‘ghost’, or residual image, which remains within the lithography stone after printing. The ghost is usually removed entirely by the process of graining. In Ghost[ed.], graining was only partial. This allowed the residual image to be retained and printed again as a reduced version of the original.

Ghost[ed.] lithographs emerged sequentially: after an initial ‘catalyst’ image which got the project underway, contributors were invited in turn to devise a new ‘key’ image in response to the ghost of the one that came immediately before. The two elements were then incorporated into a single print, with one superimposed over the other - a key image by one artist and the ghost of the previous one by another. Instead of being erased, the ghost is an active and dynamic component of the eight pictorial schemes.

We are not aware of any precedent in lithography practice for combining ghost and key images in this way.You can read more about the suite and see images of the complete edition at www.ghosted.co.uk.