Hooligan EP Sue Wladar ‘Develops’ Ghost Town

There’s a story behind everyone’s first art show. For some, it represents the realization of a long and winding creative pursuit. And for natural talents like Hooligan EP Sue Wladar, there’s a serendipitous magic to forming that creative path. After her well-received photography debut at the Country Living Fair at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, NY, the future is bright.

While the world is just getting to know Sue’s work, she has quietly honed her photographic aesthetic while digging ever deeper into the subjects of Americana over the last seven years. In Sue’s case, passion preceded the medium: long fascinated with ghost towns and the architecture of the old west, she discovered the joy of photographing these subjects during her travels to Colorado, New Mexico and Montana. As she documented these fading frontiers over the course of a couple of years, a series was naturally shaping.

“It really all started as a personal hobby through my need to be away from New York and explore the rest of America,” she says. “My adventures and journeys revealed an important purpose, which was to capture and preserve these buildings that have been left behind.”

The sepia-toned Super 35 photographs had only been seen by Sue’s close friends and family – until a friend of her sister who is affiliated with Country Living Magazine encountered one of them. Everyone agreed Sue’s photos needed exposure, so they got on the horn to book her first show at the Country Living Fair – her ghost town series would perfectly resonate alongside the rural, antique-geared event.

“It’s always difficult to show something so personal – and I never thought there would be this much interest,” says Sue. “Sure, it was scary, but it wasn’t enough reason to not share my work with such overwhelming support. My sister and I approached it as a team, which made everything easier. The whole experience has been encouraging, unexpected and fun.

Since her debut, inquiries have already come in from galleries and retailers – even a private commission to study a farmhouse in Red Hook, NY.

“My sister is helping out immensely, so maybe we’ll turn this into a little business,“ concludes Sue. “I even hope to do a book one day.”