Apeiron ( Chemigrams )
“A poem,” Frost once wrote in a letter “ starts with a lump in the throat….it is a reaching-out towards expression; an effort to find fulfillment. A complete poem is one where an emotion has found its thought, and the thought has found the words.” I find this to be true for images as well.
Summer 2018. The mornings are dedicated to playing in the studio, experimenting with camera-less processes while afternoons are filled with books and “homework” - we are getting ready for a trip to Greece. Among the history and mythology stories, I stumble upon the Greek philosopher Anaximander and his theory about a boundless, imperishable substance, the primal chaos out of which everything is created and the destination of everything once it ceases to exist. Just like that I find the right name for the images I’ve been creating: Apeiron.
Created on black and white photographic paper, using traditional photographic chemicals, ingredients from the kitchen, art materials, and light, these Chemigrams are coerced into being by painting, spraying, pouring on or dipping the paper into the different solutions. The sequence, timing and duration of the steps as well as the type of paper and quality of available light define the ultimate shapes and colors. Engaging uncertainty and chance while closely monitoring and interacting with the results, I feel like an alchemist creating images of silver and light.
