At its core, my independent practice is about exploring and engaging with different creative processes. This means that I work with processes that I am curious about and experiment with their possibilities. Along the way, I discover unexpected avenues and explore interesting connections.
Initially, my practice was inspired by the way objects around me affect the way I see in relation to light and through the camera lens. I was and still am interested in how I can use light to play with and distort my surroundings. However, this led me to exploring alternative photographing processes such as anthotypes, and more recently exploring analogue photographic processes such as photographing with film cameras.
As mentioned previously, I like to experiment and play with the creative processes I work with, and last year I explored digital photography with deviations from the standard practice of fitting a lens to the camera body and photographing crystal clear images. This process included transforming my digital camera into a pinhole camera and replacing standard camera lenses with found glass or made glass contraptions. This allowed me to experiment with the effects of these glass objects on the image making process. I also experimented with my existing camera lenses to see to what extent I could distort their ability to take images by playing with other glass objects in front of the lens and seeing what images could be made within the environment.
I have worked in the garden at home during the past two years and built on and re-explored the spaces within the garden with these different processes. Presently, my practice within the garden is more meditative and reflective as I sit and tune into the space before photographing within it and then journal about the experience afterwards. Despite working in the same environment, it is always changing, which sparks my curiosity each time I am present in this outside space.
In addition to my photographic practice, I have been working with clay and ceramic processes. While ceramics may seem unrelated to photography, there are similar approaches and ways of thinking in both media. The crossover between analogue photography and ceramics has led me to think about the chemical nature/physical reactions of both processes and the conceptual connections between firing clay and chemically processing film. Moreover, I have explored different construction methods, the quality of form and experimented with the mechanical process of throwing clay on a wheel. My hope is to take these skills and knowledge from learning to work with clay and to be able to apply it by making my own creative camera lenses one day.
There are so many further possibilities to explore and experiment with in this use of photography and ceramics. I look forward to continuing this journey to see where these different creative processes take me in the future.
Curiosity and Optical Experiments
2021
Mixed Media – Photography, Anthotypes & Ceramics