Lack of Where We Began

As I began my educational career, lessons about the inception of photographic images and their evolution enraptured me. I have been disheartened as I have seen a lack of representation of photography’s origins. My project is an exploration of one of the only things I can truly say I am passionate about: photography in its diverse forms. By recreating the same image using analog and contemporary processes, I share my interest in the ways they affect the subject, how they might be displayed, and the simple beauty of each procedure. I feel that these neglected processes bring a human artistry back into a digitally dominated world. Some of the ways I reintroduce that human element are by using cyanotypes on clay, expired photographic paper, and exposing the image on fabric. My choice to display a portrait comes from the fact that I connect more to people, and their ability to hold my attention. By shifting my focus away from creating new imagery, I pay homage to and give each process its deserved place as the subject of my show.