constructed negatives

Constructed negatives are mosaics of photographic film. Each is a large format negative assembled from smaller 35mm and medium format film fragments. The original negatives are shot directly by me or donated by others. They are cut apart and reassembled over a light table into a larger image. This “constructed negative” can then be enlarged in a traditional darkroom or scanned as a digital artifact. This work explores the way in which our unique experiences shape our perception of reality. Film is a first-hand witness to the light that it touches. It is a permanent record of a moment in time, chemically burned into silver and plastic. Copies can be made, color corrected, enlarged, and enjoyed, but the original negative is unique. It is the only witness to the photons that hit it, and it was forever changed by them. Individually, each piece of film is a self-contained experience: a unique time and place. Together, they create a larger context, where each piece fills a niche, shaped by and shaping the whole.