I have been making some progress on printing the backlog of images collected for my Wild Gravity series. Since the process is so intertwined with the meaning of these photographs, I thought it would be fun to share "behind the scenes" information here on my blog. I love watching the chemistry-painted paper reveal a picture while being exposed to sunlight, and seeing the metamorphosis of the print through varying stages of rich browns through the drying process. Below you'll see some of the photographs that still have their rough chemistry-painted edges, a reminder of the magic in photons that makes them visible. Not that regular old digital photography isn't incredible-- it IS (don't get me started on image sensors, millions of pixels, color channels, and binary code!)... it's just that we seem to take it for granted. My reverence for science comes from the fact that humans have been unlocking the mysteries of nature for centuries simply by looking closely, using reason/ math, and methodically testing. This work is inspired by a strong sense of wonder at what the universe is, why consciousness exists, and how the world can sometimes be so freaking beautiful.
Prints drying on the backyard line - late August 2015
Laundry room lab
Water wash
Billions & Billions graffiti
Stars in a dark country field
Seeds on the bathroom floor
Grandpa's shadow
Conscious creature
Photons on the fridge
These pictures were shot with my digital camera, then turned into negatives via Photoshop and printed out on transparency film. That negative exposes the image onto paper for a minute or two by sunlight in a contact printing frame. I'll leave you with a shaky video of a negative being exposed... if you're patient you can watch the Vandyke Brown chemistry change color before your eyes. Ooooh la la!
