STRATA
activating archives
mapping narratives
co-creating dreamworlds
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March-April 2022
Marcel arriving in Lincoln.
Intensive work on :
- looking back to the archive
of images taken during the production.
- figuring out how we approach image making, gazing, archiving.
- selection of 'core images': 23.
-working with 'core images' through segmenting, analysing, perspectives, imagining material relations, automatic writing (emerging meta-narratives (?)).
- we stopped at the 7th image.
-we developed images mainly as cyanotypes, chemigrams+silver, transfers on different materials (paper, wood, glass, tile, stone, etc).
PHOTO SELECTION MARCH- APRIL 2022
April- September 2023
Fenia re-approaching the archive by experimenting more with materials, the materiality of images and alternative image making techniques.
Main explorations include;
* BIOPLASTIC CYANOTYPE ON LATEX
* GELATIN CYANOTYPE LAYERS
* SOILGRAMS
* CYANOSOILGRAMS
* CYANOTYPE ON FABRIC
EXTRA outcomes EMERGED DURING THE PROCESS:
* TEXT = inspired by the relation between different images, by the texture, sound, colour of materials, emerging patterns.
* CERAMIC SCULPTURE = VENUSES [symbolic+imaginary]
material: cooked terracotta, hair, latex, gold paint.
MATERIALS
LATEX, COTTON FABRIC, RESIN EPOXY, COTTON PAPER, JAPANESE THIN PAPER, TRACING PAPER, LAB FILTER PAPER,
LITTLE STONES/SOIL FROM LOCATIONS, HUMAN HAIR. THIN BROWN PAPER (CHINESE?)
1. CYANOTYPE ON LATEX (Verena, Marcel, mixed)
Dimensions: approx. 90cm x 60cm
Materials: latex, agar agar (bioplastic), cyanotype, stones + soil from the location, epoxy resin, bronze leaves.
Notes:
1. There are several pieces of cyanotype on latex (without epoxy resin) in different dimensions.
2. The intention is to create a triptych (Verena, Nicola, Marcel), therefore I would like to make one more of this type using primarily an image of the soldier (marcel's performance with latex).
3. Creative possibilities using light (and possible water).
4. the visual result is better visible when the image is lit (from back or front)
5. The point where haptic is manifested through materiality.
3. CYANOTYPE AND PRINTING ON FABRIC (GIO')
Dimensions: approx. 50cm x 60cm
Materials: Paris Chiffon (poly) 40gsm / Cotton fabric
Notes:
1. Creating two layers -maybe with two different images > one in cotton and one in very light fabric (i.e Paris Chiffon) with a distance between the two create a sort of depth of field.
2. [I am curious what happened if part of the fabric is on epoxy resin. Definitely, that will add to the fabric more weight.
3. I could imagine that image in dimensions at least: 1,50m. Although the costs will be a bit high.
4. [Update] I printed the negative of one of Gio's image at the ArtEZ workshop. The plan is to use Lee's UV bed in her studio for cyanotype exposure on fabric.
4. SOILGRAMS AND CYANOTYPES (Susanna, rabbit, sara, mixed)
Dimensions: approx. circle 15x15 /10x10
Materials: soil and/or hair, lab filters, cyanotype.
Until now (19/10): 15x15 circle: 20 soilcyanograms / 7 soilgrams /
10x10 circle: 4 soilgrams / 6 soilcyanograms.
30x56: rectangular paper with three soigrams 17x17
Notes:
1. one-off recycled paper where I was able to have a triptych of soilgrams/hairgrams.
Not able though to find this kind of paper again.
2. Experiments on adding epoxy resin: not very convincing /latex (not very convincing).
3. They look like little moons. I can imagine them hanging (or...?).
4. Single soil/hairgrams
5. Different images and soilgram
6. Tried out snail-shell chromatography (it works) and images of the walker (sara). However the experiment of combined soilgrams, cyanotype, latex: doesn't work really.
WORDS emerging spontaneously during the process as affective response.
EXAMPLES
And the Time cracks
A split of a second passes
Marianna touches the water, putting everything in motion like a ripple of water
A hand appears
Angel’s wings get unfolded
Marcel starts molting as if inside a cocoon.
The braids of Nathalie split
Boris gives birth to a plant from his voiceless mouth
Verena and myself in a last delicate caress of each other
And the cave is awake.
It takes a breath for life to
emerge
A crack into
Nothingness
A minor tremor
able to set in motion
layers of transparent matters.
It takes a light touch to destroy rotten roots
to stir muddy waters
to create a hole in the heart of the wind.
It takes a whisper
For the angel to emerge
For the bird to suspend its flight
For the braids to be loosened
For hope to emerge
from.
a.
mouth.
that.
never.
heard.
its.
voice.
still.
buried.
in.
the.
Earth's.
placenta.
Almost found
Almost touched
Almost in flight
Almost held
Almost visible
Still invisible
Still untouched
Still hidden
Still rooted
Still veiled
Reach me
Hold me
Delicately
before becoming smithereens.
Reaching
Soil Matters and
Expanding
Malleable boundaries
To walk through itineraries
Leading
Towards
a decentered centre
A point
that becomes a hole
to
f
a
a
a
l
l
into
A vortex
of earthy patterns
spiraling
A light touch
and the stone melts again
a liquid pathway that you walk on
Washed by songs of cold waters
in between deep cracks
She will emerge
2. CYANOTYPE ON GELATIN (Nicola, Marianna, Andrea)
Dimensions: variety but until now not more than 10 x15cm
Materials: gelatin cyanotype
Notes:
1. very fragile outcome
2. not sure how can be displayed in order to keep its fragility but not getting destroyed immediately.
3. I would like to try longer gelatin sheets with the image of Nicola (Time), Andrea (Angel) and Marianna ( bird in suspension).
5. CHLOROPHYLL PRINT (BORIS)
Dimensions: 4 leaves.
Materials: hosta leaf.
Notes:
1. same image: Boris lying in repetition (foto of Douglas)
2. option: a branch with the leaves attached
3. possible to become a little sculpture? Not sure what the 'branch' can be (natural?glass?other?)
From now and on (until february) becomes difficult to make more chlorotypes in UK.
EXTRA
entry points
pragmatics
curation
SELECTED NOTES (from the notes kept during Lincoln residency)
- POETICS : SILENCE AND STILLNESS / BELONGING AND BECOMING / RELATION WITH THE SELF, THE OTHER, TIME/ LOOKING FOR THE UNSEEN AND UNNOTICED.
HAIKU [a type of short form poetry that originated in Japan].
MOUTH: in relation to 'Anverwandeln' [to transform?] /possible entry points/orality/transmission
HAPTIC: what the image invites you to do/ engaging with the sensorial beyond the visual dominance. Touch it becomes a way of thinking with the image, inviting to feel rather than just see. Haptic though involves two elements: touch and kinesthaesia.
- ACTIVATING A SPACE FOR OTHERS TO ENTER
- PHOTOBOOKS: tendencies, preferences, bias, conventions, traps, composition.
Dimensions: approx. 6cm x 9cm
Materials: clay, latex, hair, gold paint.
Notes:
1. a response to the venus statues that have been discovered in the caves but also to the ritualistic action of verena and myself in Falkenstein cave.
2. Two headed creatures, voluptuous, abject and monstruous, with a belly that is at the same time a womb, an open wound, a vulva, an opening, a mouth, a cave.
6. PRINT ON BROKEN MIRROR (NATALIE)
After talking with Sjoerd (ArtEZ workshop space) it is possible: a colour print of an image on a transparency film adhesive which then is applied on a mirror which then can be broken. The image can be printed in such a way that the viewer is reflected on Natalie's mirror only.