Ladders have been and continue to be an obsession for Hochbaum. The image of one can be found throughout his works. 
The metaphor persists here in his series of handmade wooden ladders titled "Ghost Ladders".
 
This is #23
 
They are individual ladders mounted on a wood block that has been made into a tiny chunks of landscaped with painted sand. The ladders are made of pine dowels that are wrapped in rice paper and then set on fire. The leftover surface is then painted over and sprayed with a matte vanish.
 
He calls them ghosts due to their white ashen appearance. They remind him of decayed trees or buildings or a combination of the two. The remaining paper resembles old torn ship sails or dried skin on a carcass.
 
Each ladder is unique from base to top rung. They all go through their complex process to reach their final stage, the phantom ladder.
 
They are all approximately 9-11" tall with 2.5" squared bases. 
 
 
The bottoms are numbered and signed with brass tacks hammered in to help preserve the inscription.
 
Adorn your desktop, mantle, bedside or anywhere you feel you can use a good ole' ghost ladder in your environment!
 
Be sure to view the short video "Ad" shot and edited by the artist. It was originally created for promotional purposes via social media platforms and to linked to a previous online gallery/shop which is no longer in use.