Contextual Statement

GALLERY      PROCESS
CONCEPTUAL STATEMENT      CONTEXTUAL STATEMENT

My work acknowledges modernist and pre-modern photographic media and processes that were available prior to being superseded by the digital. It does this by utilising photographic media and processes, such as chemical toners and silver gelatin processes. My work is still translated into the digital forum, which is an acceptance of the digital resources available. However, I am reacting to an overdependence on digital photography.

I use predominantly traditional photographic media. Primarily, I use developer and fix – often mixed together – as well as chemical toners. I use silver halide papers, renovator’s tape, and in the odd chemigram, detergent.

My influences for my current body of work are a mixture of photographic artists and influences from outside of the scope of art.

Israeli photographic artist Ilan Wolff has been my main artistic influence. He works with elements such as heated metal and ice in order to create unconventional, camera-less photographic work, though with more of a focus on using energy as media.

New Zealand photographer Ben Cauchi has also been of significant interest to me, being from the same locale, and daring to delve into antique chemical photographic processes, embracing the past.

One of those to influence my practice from outside the artistic realm is my father, who has instructed me on what exactly is chemically possible.