In the Buddhist tradition, Hungry Ghosts are the spirits of greedy humans, who in the afterlife are forced to walk the earth with tiny mouths and huge empty stomachs -forever unable to satisfy their desires. Barratt saw the flowering of a thousand skyscrapers across Asian city skylines as the new Hungry Ghosts, manufacturing endless desire which can never be fulfilled. He explores this modern manifestation of the ancient tradition in his series of digitally remixed photographs of the Singapore skyline.
The works, rich in color and grand in scale, capture Singapore striding into the 21st Century, whilst remaining deeply connected to its ancient folklore. The dance between the present and the ancient shows the familiar landscape of the city in a new light. The show is essential viewing for any lover of Singapore.
Barratt has also composed a series of musical works, exploring the thematic of the Hungry Ghost myth, as part of the gallery installation. The work takes traditional Malay, Chinese, Thai and Indian melodies, and combines them with powerful modern rhythms.
The corresponding exhibition in Bangkok broke gallery sales records earlier in the year and further shows are planned for London and New York in 2007.
About The Photographer
Originally from London, England, David Barratt spent 14 years in New York working as a music producer/writer for records, TV, film, Comercials and fashion shows. His credits include Robert Plant, David Bowie, and Jeffery Osbourne, securing one platinum and two gold records. His musichas been featured in the motion pictures Two Guys and a Girl, Forces Of Nature, Pretty Woman, Bedazzled and Sister Act.
Barratt is also a prominent New York DJ, and has released his own music through various indie labels including 3 albums under the pseudonym "Yellow Note" and the critically acclaimed "Walking Down Memory Gap Lane" as Dubchek.
In 2004 Barratt was invited by the United Nations to submit his work Karito (www.karito.org) for an installation in the General Assembly in New York. Karito is an audio sculpture made from the national anthems of the member states of the United Nations layered upon one another, projected simultaneously from multiple sound sources. The random juxtaposition of the various themes creates a new infinitely long piece, the structure and tone of which are determined by the listener's relative position within the audio sculpture at any particular time.
Barratt moved to Asia in 2005 and has had photographic exhibitions in Bangkok and New York.
www.davidbarratt.com