Of Shadows: One Hundred Objects from the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic. By Sara Hannant & Simon Costin. Published by STRANGE ATTRACTOR PRESS Halloween 2016, £25
Shortlisted for the Katharine Briggs Folklore Award 2017
Honorary Winner International Photo Awards: Book of the Year 2017
Honorary Winner Moscow International Foto Awards 2017
"Sara’s pictures are rites of evocation... a radically new and exciting approach to the work of representing the past to the present." Ronald Hutton
"Spellbinding selection" Atlas Obscura
“Photographer works her own magic at the Museum of Witchcraft” The Wild Hunt
“Of Shadows is intriguing. The positioning of the subjects doesn’t detract from their mysterious nature and yet conveys a great deal of objective information. The captions are very informative and help to add to the experience of viewing these unique pieces.” Lens Culture
“Creepy and brilliant” London Review Bookshop
While artist-in-residence at the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Cornwall, I photographed one hundred objects used in the practice of witchcraft and magic. I chose to photograph at night enabling the objects to emerge from the darkness. Reflecting on this process, I found parallels with photographic practice. In witchcraft, magic is practiced to bring about transformation and sometimes objects are made or charged with magical intent for this purpose. Similarly, the photographic process can transform the appearance of an object and shape ideas that contribute to its meaning. I became fascinated to explore how light and darkness define and articulate our relationship to enchantment and if this mechanism can be employed to suggest narrative and significance.
The residency resulted in the book 'Of Shadows: One Hundred Objects from the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic' in collaboration with the museum director Simon Costin. The book features carefully selected artifacts, which include wax dolls, wands, statues, daggers, pendants, robes and amulets, all used in the practice of witchcraft and magic. Some have been displayed at the museum for years; others have long been hidden in its archives. Each object tells its own vivid tale of belief and ceremonial practice. Accompanying the photographs is a history of the museum by Simon Costin and an illuminating introduction by the leading historian of British witchcraft and magic, Ronald Hutton.
