Tuesday 1 April 2008

Antiquated Avant-garde

Jump!! by Jo Bradford
See more about Jump! here


As the rest of the world rushes headlong into the digital revolution - I find that digital photography increasingly holds little meaning for me. Whilst in the early 2000's I wholly embraced the digitisation of photography for it's speed and simplicity, it is precisely that sterility and the lack of contact with the process that I am now feeling disenchanted with.
I find myself retreating further into the world of experimental photography and alternative processes. One of my favourite processes is the cyanotype method. I love that it allows one to reconnect with the process of capturing light on paper in its simplest form. The whole process of mixing up the powdered chemicals to create my own light sensitive emulsion, then painting it on to watercolour paper with a Japanese hake brush is very pleasing. But what I love most is that the print is made in sunlight, so I get to sit outside my studio in the sunshine during the exposure and reflect on anything and everything whilst I wait for the big yellow fellow to do his work.

A scientist friend of mine says that I am part of the antiquated avant-garde. I suppose cyanotypes and luminograms are pretty avant garde, culturally and artistically speaking. Meanwhile, I am more than happy to separate myself from a mainstream society burying itself in a avalanche of digital imagery, while I eschew the ease of the new, in favour of something more tactile and real.

1 comment:

Camilla said...

I am fascinated by your ideas and process- if I ever make it down the road to Cornwall would you be interested in showing me how it's done? I saw some photogram's by Susan Derges recently and I was really excited by them and the possiblities of new (old) forms of photography.

I discovered you via Poppytalk by the way!

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