Louis Pratt A very Dutch ghost

Using the latest computing tools and technology, Louis Pratt’s holographic skull draws from centuries of art history, referencing Hans Holbein’s painting The ambassadors 1533 and Vincent van Gogh’s Head of a skeleton with a burning cigarette 1886. It also recalls the 17th-century Dutch tradition of vanitas still-life painting, which used symbolic objects to remind the viewer of their mortality.

The work took more than two years to realise. For its creation, Pratt developed software, in collaboration with Australian academic Dr Nico Pietroni, which calculates the trajectory of light as it bends through curved reflective surfaces and transparent media.

Pratt, a three-time Wynne finalist, explains: ‘The ghost-like appearance of the reflection results from the interplay between the mirror, sculpture and the eye of the viewer … I’m always looking to create something that pushes the boundaries of what is possible and extends the canon of art; that expresses the interconnectedness between the digital and the physical worlds and imbues the audience with a sense of wonder.’