Collections

I've always enjoyed experimenting with my photography. When I used darkrooms, some years ago, I would make photograms from objects such as bubble wrap or opaque/transparent items. Shortly after I began using computers for my photography I revisited the photogram technique. Using found objects I began making digital, contemporary, photograms. Although the technique is not 100% identical to the darkroom method (ie: I am not using light sensitive paper) its theory and basis is firmly grounded in the paths worn by such artists as Man Ray, Anna Atkins and right back to the origins of photography and the work of Henry Fox Talbot. My first attempts were very clinical and scientific, but over the years I have started to loosen up a bit and apply the same post-processing methods that I use for my day to day photography (re-arranging, re-sizing, combining several pictures and working with multiple layers). Apart from the base (textures of baking trays) and the fireworks in one of the jars, all is camera-less photography. My father had a shed full of things that he kept in the belief that one day they would be useful and I, likewise, have continued this trend, filling boxes with objects that may appear in photographs one day. My collection project is an ongoing series that I plan to develop over the coming years as my small collection grows. I dip into my containers of broken glass, found items, insects and dried flowers (objects that are often overlooked, broken, dead or discarded - a strange mix of mini museums ranging from Natural History to Science to Packaging), bringing them into the picture then moving or replacing pieces until a narrative presents itself. The photogram technique keeps the elements grounded in the world of science and scientific recording, but in bringing these disparate things together I am able to play with their connectivity, influence the narrative, inject a dash of magic and fantasy and blend together science and art to create an aesthetic language that would not have existed normally between them. An aesthetic that links to my subconscious and the stories I sense when moving the objects around the picture area. In keeping with traditional collections (and my humble storage boxes) some of the pictures present the elements bound or constrained by their surrounding environment whilst, in others, they are released and set free to run wild. In pondering why this is so I feel there may be an underlying reference to my own perceptions of me as a photographer. On the one hand, there is the need to be technical and precise in the skills needed to take a picture and on the other there is a strong desire to go beyond simply capturing straight pictures and to follow a more creative path where I feel my heart lies most. I hope you enjoy looking through this series.