The Haunted Ebay Painting.

GuanYin

This is a pretty old story, but I just came across the jpg on an old PC I have so I figure dI'd upload it.

This painting, "Hands Resist Him" painted by Bill Stoneham in 1972 was sold on Ebay in 2000 and it sparked a small web cult following, as reports came in of many people having a disturbing reaction to viewing the paining.

The full story of the painting is here.

What do you guys make of it.

keu

i've seen the image before, have a theory.

GuanYin

keu wrote:

i've seen the image before, have a theory.

Cool, feel free to share

Gordon

That's freaky... how someone would want to buy it!

neXus9

It does look a bit freaky, the girl's hollow eyes and the scraping hands in the background.

It kinda looks like they're the gatekeepers to the underworld.

keu

k..geez wish those pics didnt just pop up like that..urrgh, they feel horrible.
anyway.. just for explanation purposes i'm going to reduce humans to a form of electromagnetism. (and consider our physicality as a projection of it..just use your imagination)
(and for explanation purposes only) consider that we have the same magnetic qualities I'll just call them feelings for now.
In this instance I'll call love and hate opposite polarities and as such have their own unique frequency. It's just as easy to mangetise particular objects (other people, items of jewellery) and leave a trace of whatever resonance (the electromagnetic pattern that we carry) on objects.

syke..I know i'm probably over simplifying the subject, i'm just trying to get the basic concept across (and i'm finding it increasingly difficult to do because my daughter keeps rabbiting in my ear and hasn't shut up talking about the street carnival which doesn't start until 9.30pm tonight) ...but do you get the gist?

bsically in this instance this concept suggests the artist imbedded his own particular resonance (fear/isolation/lonliness) into the image (like a residual energy) and those sensative to it can pick it up.
in any other instance, it would be easy to suggest that the artist is just very good at translating fear onto paper, but seemingly these images have relayed the message very deeply almost subliminally onto the viewers psyche.

Lex_Diamonds

Wow, that painting rocks. Where can I buy a repro?

keu

the same concept can be applied to "haunted" buildings or places.
actually I would think most tranference is a result of this principle.
Residual energy left in places or on objects can rub off on people and leave them feeling the same emotion (fear anger hate/ or its opposites)
in this case the result was a cultish following by morbidly curious freaks (much like the painter)

oh..and out of my own curiosity, as a scientist syke, can you explain a little about electromagnetism, can it generate power that is observable or take form (become visible)?

aidan_walsh

Lex_Diamonds wrote:

Wow, that painting rocks. Where can I buy a repro?

http://www.stonehamstudios.com/haunted.shtml

Highly creepy story...

bus77

It reminds me of the holocaust pictures, with the hands and feet on the trucks
and the doorframe like a fence, the youngfella(the skinny prisoner) on the outside. But inside and outside have been confused by the way its done.
The youngfella is obviosly outside on a sunny day but the view throgh the door is unnaturally dark like something you would only see looking out on a dark night. The angles of the picture also give the the impression of being inside walking down a hallway towards the door. The way the youngones standing, waiting to go out?

Watch out kids! THE HANDS WILL GET YA!!

GuanYin

keu wrote:

oh..and out of my own curiosity, as a scientist syke, can you explain a little about electromagnetism, can it generate power that is observable or take form (become visible)?

To quote Leonard McCoy "I'm a Doctor not an electrician" and its somewhat related in this case.

Seriously though, the answer is possably - the human brain contains biogenic material such as magnite (a black mineral form of crystaline iron oxide) and there is a growing field of study in biomagnetism and electromagnetic therapies (that is if electromagnetic impulses in general disrupt our own electrophysiology sufficiently to cause disease, is there an energy signature that might heal or renew cells (hence the star trek quote).

Most of our neurological pathways are based on a loosely termed "electric system" and bone is being shown to be electrical in nature. The bone matrix is a biphasic (two-part) semiconductor.

Whether we can conciously or unconciously project such electrical signatures is another matter, but many established scientists have proposed that the biomagnetic properties of the brain may be sufficient to generate an signal, especially in times of distress but the exact science of this would be the realm of a neurophysacist, which I am not.


There was also work in the 70's, in Russia claiming that cell cultures could transmit disease by electromagnic means by way of a quartz medium. Cells were grown independantly on either side of a quartz window and one side was infected with a viral payload. Shortly after, the second flask of cells demonstrated the symptoms of infection. I'm highly dubious about this but if you are interested (and want to take the discussion forward, please start another thread), here is the reference and a link.

V.P. Kaznacheyev et al, "Distant Intercellular Interactions in a System of Two Tissue Cultures," Psychoenergetic Systems, Vol. 1, No. 3, March 1976, pp 141-142.

Xcom2

Never mind the neurological/electromagnetic stuff!!

That picture give's me the creep's!

G

Nick_oliveri

*turns lights on*

keu

k.. "Whether we can conciously or unconciously project such electrical signatures is another matter, but many established scientists have proposed that the biomagnetic properties of the brain may be sufficient to generate an signal,"
This makes telepathy plausible.
As for generating healing effects,and or the properties of crystals, all these are current working principles within the holistic field.
As for starting another thread on such topic, I think the general gist of this principle is at the core of many issues that have already been discussed, but at least this way, in future when a relevant issue arises I'll keep it in mind.

cheers

stormkeeper

I don't like that picture. I looked at the postings in this thread, and I immediately got shivers. I don't usually do that unless I know there's something up with a picture... Suffice to say though, I looked at the other pictures and went ballistic

I dunno if it's because I'm psychic, or because of what I read... Suffice to say, I think there are bad vibes off that pic.

Heh, that's funny, those 2 normal pics don't freak me out any more... Then again, I'm getting a chill again while writing this, so I'm not sure

satori

*shiver*

I have to agree it is not a positive picture...

stormkeeper

I geberally make it a policy to be careful when I look at very strange pictures, be it coz they're haunted, or have some wierd property to them, and usually, I shiver all over if there's something up with the pic...

stormkeeper

keu wrote:

bsically in this instance this concept suggests the artist imbedded his own particular resonance (fear/isolation/lonliness) into the image (like a residual energy) and those sensative to it can pick it up.
in any other instance, it would be easy to suggest that the artist is just very good at translating fear onto paper, but seemingly these images have relayed the message very deeply almost subliminally onto the viewers psyche.

That would prolly explain why I get the shivers... A lot of negative emotion in it... I kinda felt somewhat threatened by the picture, I think... I'll I know is it gives me the creeps and makes me shiver!

neXus9

Interesting

It has a sequel!!

The Clown Man

Holy crap I can't even look at the damn thing. It just glows with something totally f**ked up. I got one glimpse of two children and tried to take another look but I seriously cannot look at it again. Every time I do I freeze. Seeing stars and sh*t. Wow. That is totally messed up.

And here I was thinking I wasn't a big puss!

Mercury_Tilt

This post has been deleted.

segadreamcast

There is something about it... it doesn't scare me though sadly I must admit. The oddest thing I find about it is the boys expression - that of a man rather than a boy. I'd almost say the hands represent some sort of past torment that can no longer touch him as he has grown, hence the back turned, the hands shielded - and, of course the title.

There is more hope to be drawn from this picture than despair, in my belief at least.

EDIT: Jesus christ! ****ING RATTLED! The TV went out just as I sent that post - UTV just went zap. Litreally leaped from the chair. ****.

Explosive_Cornflake

Any decent scans of this floating around, i'd like a closer look.

jill_valentine

That painting freaks me out quite a bit. Its day, and I'm surrounded by people, and I just can't make myself look at it any more. I think I'm even more freaked out because I can't quite work out what it is that's bothering me about it...

stormkeeper

neXus9 wrote:

Interesting

It has a sequel!!

I don't actually feel anything with that 2nd pic...

neXus9

Yeah, the second one isn't that scary at all.

Elessar

Freaky indeed.

This reminds me of the well known story of a painting (or was it a picture) of a young boy with a sad look on his face. Many households which had it or a copy of it over the years caught fire and everything burned except the painting. It was even kept in a house in here Dublin, which subsequently burned down months after the painting was acquired by the family.

Here it is! : http://www.ghoststudy.com/monthly/jun03/tears.html

Yikes, that's freaky *shivers*.

im very skeptical about it as i am with many things like it. But after looking at the painting my TV turned it self off twice. I had to unplug and plug it back in again to get it to work. This is a relitivly new TV.

fatherdougalmag

First time poster, long time reader and fan.

Regarding the original picture, I'm intrigued that the emotions and feelings it invokes are essentially being transmitted by 1's and 0's. Even then, compressed and far from the original. I could well understand something being brought on when in the presence of the original and the very fabric (canvas and paint), but to speak of various arousals as a result of viewing it second-hand strike me as interesting. Maybe it stirs up a childhood nightmare image or a notion that is held. It kind of did with me. There was certainly something familiar about it. But nothing more. Is it that which is being stirred up?

Maybe there's a resonance generated by a commonality which is captured in the image and something that is being harboured by the observer. But then, that's what art's all about really. Music, images, actions set down by a composer/artist which capture something within the recipient.

Regarding 'the sequel'. Maybe the shock factor has been taken away after viewing the first one. Even the phrase 'sequel' prepares you. It suggests some kind of synonimity with the original. Chances are thought that anyone following this thread has read the original.

In the second picture, the boy child has aged but the girl hasn't. The hands are still there behind the door but there's more light in the entire picture. And the hands are higher up the doors. The girl is shown to be artificial. If anything, the fear is taken right out of the original. IMHO, it's not nearly as imposing as the first image. But maybe that's because it sounds Stoneham was put up to producing a sequel and, so, may not been have under the same emotional circumstances. I don't know what the deal with the wasps is.

I believe that art, in its truest form, can generate spine-tingling feelings.

Anyway, looking forward to further reactions.

neXus9

Elessar wrote:

Here it is! : http://www.ghoststudy.com/monthly/jun03/tears.html

Yikes, that's freaky *shivers*.

Wouldn't want to be looking at that picture at night in my house, alone, staring at me... :eek:

jill_valentine

WTF? Who the hell would think "Ah, a lovely piture of a crying Satan-Child, that'll do nicely for the living room". Apparently, one of my web buddies had one... no fires though.

quad_red

is really disconcerting!!

my heckles rose when i saw that.

DriftingRain

Hurmmm... Intresting!!!!



~DR~


btw...I don't see the childern as quite so scary....I see the lonley in them :rolleyes:

aidan_walsh

DriftingRain wrote:

Hurmmm... Intresting!!!!



~DR~


btw...I don't see the childern as quite so scary....I see the lonley in them :rolleyes:

And lonely isn't scary???

[/philosophy]

DriftingRain

And lonely isn't scary???

Not really...I mean...It is a great art piece....And Maybe if I actually saw the pic and held it....I could pic up on the negative energy that some of you speak of...But...I've lived alone and been through almost every ordeal a girl could go through...So theres not much scary left to me.... :rolleyes:

/me shrugs!


~DR~

BEAT

well, I can say that it is a creepy painting but I doubt its haunted...seems like a good gimmick to make some money to me.

I'd have to see the original painting in person to know for sure or not, but all in all I think it was a well thought out marketing idea

neXus9

The Clown Man wrote:

Holy crap I can't even look at the damn thing. It just glows with something totally f**ked up. I got one glimpse of two children and tried to take another look but I seriously cannot look at it again. Every time I do I freeze. Seeing stars and sh*t. Wow. That is totally messed up.

Dre as in Dray wrote:

im very skeptical about it as i am with many things like it. But after looking at the painting my TV turned it self off twice. I had to unplug and plug it back in again to get it to work. This is a relitivly new TV.

Two cases of paranormal activity from the painting, on boards alone!! :eek:

HashSlinging

Jeysus thats some mind **** back of my head is buzzing. :eek: I only got two hours sleep last night. didnt need this..

I need a hug.

kirn

the painting of the boy and the hands one BOTH gave me the shivers....

i hate that...

brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...........

orangerooster

It is freaky but I didnt feel anything from the painting or experience anything other than discomfort at how weird it is!The more i look at it though the stranger it is-not something I'll be viewing on a regular basis!

orangerooster

It is freaky but I didnt feel anything from the painting or experience anything other than discomfort at how weird it is!*The more i look at it though the stranger it is-not something I'll be viewing on a regular basis!

*perhaps I spoke to soon-my post deleted just erased itself from the text box-I had left to do something for a minute and the post box was empty-that painting is bad news.

lulu

I have to say that pic has sent the shivers down my spine, i was looking forward to a good nights sleep but i think thats gone by the way side now!!

God dam the net, first it keeps me up half the night reading useless info now it will keep me up with that pic in my mind.

elephamt king

That really is quite odd.
at first glance of the boy i was slightly disturbed but when i tried to examine it closer it scared the ****e out of me (perhaps that had something to do with the fact that i was listening to the eerie "No Quarter" by Led Zeppelin as it isnt as scary now, just unnerving)

adonis

im sure heronimus bosch and brugel (/bad spelling) have paintings that are scarier than this
also you guys might try to read "the flanders panel" by arturo perez reverte..
story about a painting and death and stuff, quite good.. a tad off topic though.

neXus9

The pictures done by HR Giger (did the designs for the alien movies) are pretty strange. I wouldn't say scary but very weird and a bit sexual. :eek:

Btw, Adonis, just go to your usercp and then go to 'edit signature' to change it.

Ro_79

While on the subject of strange and paranormal/haunted paintings..I came across this story of another haunted painting this time in the US...

What do you think? true or urban legend? Either way, its a creepy story. :eek:

http://forums.about.com/ab-paranormal/messages/?msg=8198.1


Actually I don't think the link works so I will paste the story here. It was written on another board by a poster.

Feel free to delete this mods if I am infringing copyright laws or something.

Anyway here goes:

I grew up right here where I live in a town called Lamont. It's in the good old US of A, but I don't want to say what state because I'm interested if anyone knows about the strange painting in the small gallery in a side room of the County Library. That should be a tip off already if anyone knows what I'm talking about.

When my school classes used to go on field trips in the 80s we always went to the picture gallery in the library. It had mostly oil paintings on canvas from the town founders, the pictures showed what country life was like in Lamont before the railroad and cars. Many of them were beautiful. But one of them was of Thomas Reardon Lamont the grandson of the town founder Harrison Lamont. Locally it was called 'the Tommy.' They kept the Tommy behind a small dirty curtain because it looked so spooky. But the librarian took a special delight in pulling back the curtain for school groups if the teacher-chaperone asked just right. I remember seeing the Tommy several times. Tommy Lamont was painted sometime around 1887 and looked like a dreamy boy with a curled lip. He was probably 12 or 13 in the painting. When I saw this painting again when I was in the 11th grade his expression had changed slightly. The curled lip had become a little more curled and revealed a part of his tooth which I had not seen before. Others with me noticed the same thing.

Now the point is that we were looking for that change because everyone in Lamont had been talking about it for years. Tommy was supposed to have been laughing in glee long before any of us were born. Then in our lifetime he had this bland look with the curled lip, but later his expression started changing to a definite sneer with the exposed tooth and all. In short, everyone saw what they were looking for.

When I saw the painting in my later 20s with my wife who came up from Cinci, Tommy was showing most of his teeth and looked frightening as if he were daring someone to stare at him. His eyes were all changed too. They were like looking up and out where before they were just flat and hollow in their expressions. Tommy's face was becoming 'angry' That was the word the library custodian used. Tommy's face was always changing they said but the painting never moved. No one was allowed to touch it. It was sealed in its original glass by a lead liner around the edge and this was always undisturbed.

In the 90s the County Commission removed this painting from the Lamont Library and gave it to an artifaxer for safekeeping. This was the appointed County Historian who showed the painting only to descendants of the original farming families in the area of which I am one. I saw the picture lastly in 1999 and Tommy's face was all snarled up into a glare and he looked desperate. The County Historian said he would keep changing until he changed back into the calm look he had when I was in grade school on a field trip. He said that Tommy's expression alters according to the attitude of the times and that during the Second World War was the last time that Tommy's face was in a snarl like the one coming onto him in 1999. The Historian said when it reached a fullblown snarl a horrible world event would occur.

The story is well known in my County but most families don't like to discuss it. You can't just walk into the town hall and ask to see the Tommy. You have write whether you are an art critic or whatever and then wait for permission--which you may not get. The Tommy is kept in a cabinet under lock and key.

I am not getting a lot of feedback by asking questions about the Tommy these days so I thought I'd post here. I know they did a short series of articles about the painting during the 90s in the Cincinatti papers, but I can't locate it without paying for their archives and a friend of mine did that and still couldn't locate any information. There seems to be a conspiracy of silence about the Tommy in these parts. We are near the boundaries of more than one state here so I don't think I'm just giving away the location.

You either know about the Tommy or your don't. Who does? Anyone?

---

Horace Cope

Dale

To be honest.. i don't see nothing wrong with this image...

SamuraiWarrior

It is a creepy and disturbing painting. The girl looks like a doll and I have a weird fear of dolls. It is a very unnerving painting and difficult to look at.

Stoner

I have to agree with Fartherdougal. Its only being transmitted by 1s and 0s. Any magnetic imprint would be gone/lost the imprint would have to be on something. Magnetic energy experiences resistance in its efforts to get arround, some medium are easier for it to move in then others. I felt very very little when looking at it it was strange but the lighting is messed up, it more or less did not make sense in that respect, once i examined all the details and absorbed the pic i felt nothing much, maybe a little expectation but sure thats expected.
I find the Nexus9's pic much more disturbing.
Essentially if people are feeling sick etc then the pic must be a trigger to something in their make up, it can't in itself have an energy, if i e mail it to 100 people has its energy increase 100 fold? I'm not saying its not freaky but it cant have an energy and energy that it kept after being photographed , scanned, posted on e bay , copied to this forum , I seriously dont think so.
On a different note , it might be like a tunner, as in disturbing thoughts were transmitted and still float around, this pic could enable us to focus on these signals if they exist, thats two possibilities anyway
A) It triggers something in people,
it tunes some people into some sort of vibe/transmission like a short wave radio station or a URL for a web page.

But a .jpg on a pc screen cant be haunted IMHO

Stoner

RapierX

I saw that painting before it became well known, I think I saw a link to it from some american site from which the author had been browsing through paintings on ebay. I did feel slightly uncomfortable looking at it that first time but thought of it as some looper trying to make a few quid to continue on a path of self destruction.

Recently, I stumbled across it again (2 weeks ago) whilst looking for spooky stuff to show a mate who was watching the footy behind me, he remarked on it as being weird but i dont think it really bothered him. I felt isolated even though i was in a room amongst 3 other people, and a kinda 'fuzzy' feeling at the top of my head. It seems to go away after about 5 minutes and if you do keep looking at the picture it decreases rapidly. Same thing happened just now looking at it.
Weird.

TommyK

Okay, I haven't looked at these painting and now I don't think I will - just reading this thread is giving me the shivers!

It's night, I'm in the house alone and, since it's a brand new house, we haven't got any internal doors yet - nothing to stop the demon children coming into my room toight and dagging me away to the fiery pits of Hell! :eek:

I better not tell anyone that I'm a big muscley 6'3" former boxer - that'll just make me seem all the more wimpy