Thin Veils : Volume II

In my “Thin Veils” series, I pay homage to Victorian spirit photography, while incorporating the history of Savannah, Georgia, as well as my personal memories. The process of shooting self-portraits with a pinhole camera and using the unique post-process of mordançage was a very important part of my project. With these mediums I was able to explore the spiritual, the allegorical and the ethereal. Using a pinhole camera allowed me to capture a passage of time, rather than a single moment. By using long exposures I was able to take self-portraits, moving in and reacting to the environment, allowing myself to blend in to my surroundings. I drew inspiration from Francesca Woodman’s ghostly self-portraits and Clarence John Laughlin’s haunting interpretations of the American South and Southern ruins. With the post-process of mordançage I manipulated my prints, creating new images and new realities, giving the images mysterious and otherworldly qualities. The veils of floating silver emulsion, a result of mordançage, refer to the idea of a thin veil through time. Such veils are believed to separate the ordinary from the divine, the physical world from the spirit world. Thin places, where the veil is most transparent, are often places of spiritual or historical significance. I sought out such places to photograph in Savannah, Georgia because of its rich history. These images are visual improvisations of the supernatural and the unknown. “Thin Veils” questions time, reality and existence. Volume I is presented as a one of a kind artist book and Volume II is presented as a set of 10 unique prints.