Relics from the Ocean

I document fragments of bleached coral and other sea finds by making camera-free large 16X20 inch and 14X17 inch negatives to contact print using brushed palladium metal on Japanese gampi paper. The quality of the palladium process allows tonal distinctions of extreme subtlety. Placing these fragments in my enlarger allows for a depth of field similar to a wide open large format camera. Some details are sharply focused while others are softly embraced. In painting the palladium on the paper, I sometimes paint only the shape of the object and leave the rest of the paper open. In particular this is how I chose to portray the corals. The empty space with the corals centered allows for the concentration of forms. Through these elaborate wet processes of transformation, these relics of sea life take on totemic force.