The eerie, ambient music played in front of the Austin Museum of Art. It added the perfect touch to the sultry afternoon that I went to see “Ghost Stories; The Disembodied Spirit,” an exhibit which features esoteric art and vintage photography that are thought to be haunted with ghostly images.

As I walked into the large room, I was greeted by hanging pieces of crushed silverware strung up with steel strings. Next to it was a confusingly weird sculpture in which a chair was “floating” underneath a bed sheet. It was a really cool sight to see.

The exhibit was a pleasing mix of quite a few “genres” of art. Ranging from modern art, to mixed media, to sculpting and, foremost, the vintage photography. The moods ranged from upbeat to depressing.

One of the paintings that caught my eye the most featured a faded ghostly figure on a black background, bent over and walking on all fours. It was created by American artist Bill Jacobson in 1995, on gelatin silver print, and is called “Song of the Sentient Being.” It’s reminiscent of some of the artwork on a CD by the band Tool.

What caught my eye next was an intriguing installation that, at first, looked like a modern art monstrosity. It was a fluorescent light draped in a bed cloth with a photograph behind it that gives off the appearance of a ghost when looking at the cloth.

It was made in 1994 by Christian Blotansin and is entitled “Jewish School of Grosse Hamburgerstrasse in Berlin in 1938.” It was one of my favorite pieces in the exhibit.

The most uplifting creation was a large mixed media photograph of a woman dressed in a fairy costume and holding an electronic orb in the middle of a vacant airport. It was made by Japanese artist Mariko Mari and is entitled “Last Departure.” It was an impressive creation that was colorful, creepy and happy. It was certainly one of the most popular installations in the exhibit.

As there were many installations like that, there were just as many, if not more, photographs. At the very least there were three walls full of framed vintage photographs that displayed “ghostly” images, probably the product of overlapping frames.

However, there was one photograph that was really creepy, depressing and just overly amazing. Australian photographer Tracy Moffatt took 19 pictures in 1998 and manipulated them to vintage looking photographs. It was mixed with tasteful, esoteric nudes and zombie-like maids. It was one of the most inspired, creative and original pieces of art that I have ever seen.

All in all, the exhibit was really well organized and a great way to blow off an hour or so. It’s also nice and cool inside, so it will just give off that much more of a creepier feel. Don’t fret, it’s a nice feeling.

The Disembodied Spirit continues through November 28. Admission is $4 for students and $5 dollars for adults.