Throughout my work, I have been interested in various presentations of photographs such as stereoscopic images and viewmaster cards. The structure of both are very specific and being able to experiment with their original purpose is something that I am constantly exploring. Similarly, I find the process of printing a photograph in the darkroom to also have aspects that are fixed. When in the darkroom, I am able to manipulate the process and constantly be intrigued by the results.
My current work is a collection of portraits that uses the process of darkroom printing to reveal something personal about the subjects. The age of each person photographed dictates how many times the paper must be shifted during exposure and how many seconds the image must be exposed onto the paper. These photographs make the claim that one’s individuality is not dependent on their age. Instead, this method of printing uses the age of who is depicted to abstract their identity.
I have always grappled with the assumption that photography is simply a tool that captures a moment in reality. And what is the purpose of looking at a photograph when there is an opportunity to experience the moment? With my projects I aim to complicate people’s views of photography by altering older uses and processes. I also approach this challenge by making images that do not depict reality, emphasizing the fact that photography can also produce images that cannot be seen without the use of a camera.
