Material Practices
Exhibition
Group exhibition at George Paton Gallery, The University of Melbourne, November 2007
Overview
About the exhibition
‘Material Practice’ was a studio-based project that focused on the materiality and the ‘lived-in’ experience of an art practice. The stated objective was for participating students to fully engage with a limited range of materials or a single medium, be it textiles, paint media, audio-visual, Claymation, sculptural media, etc., and to allow a relationship to form between the material and the student in the creation process. From the beginning, students were assigned a two by two-metre space in the George Paton Gallery. By keeping their allotted space in mind, students were encouraged to think in terms of process and installation, rather than the production of individual artworks to hang on the gallery wall.
Artist's statement
Rationale
‘Snapshots: Everyone Has A Story’ is a photographic installation that comprises a collection of 50 monochromatic black and white photograms ranging from 4×4 inches to 6×8 inches, depicting the life of a fictional identity. This work revolves around the theme of ‘superfictions’ and Indian cultural identity, functioning as a fragmented ‘storyboard.’ The concept explores elastic identity, where facts are presented by an unreliable narrator, intertwined with social and personal fragmentation. This semi-detached visual documentary challenges the line between fact and assumption through the medium of photograms.
The prints hand-drawn figures and scenes from Indian cultural urban life, suggesting observations and moments that define human existence. Creating a ‘photo’ without a camera while attempting to provide a truthful rendition of a life questions the accuracy of memory, observation, and the medium itself.
Fifteen of these images were displayed in standard lightweight frames, either hung on the dedicated wall space or placed on a table within the required 2×2 metre floor space. Framing some of the photograms solidifies the images and guides viewers to perceive the ‘fictitious memories’ as photographs, reinforcing the construction of the habitat of a fictitious protagonist
Gallery
Artistic technique
A photogram is a cameraless image created by placing objects directly on light-sensitive material. It results in silhouetted images with varying darkness based on object transparency. This technique contrasts with traditional photography, emphasising subjective memories and fictional identity. The replication of drawn photographs and photographic negatives serves as a metaphor for inscribing one’s own memories through interactive technology.
To create these photograms, images are hand-drawn on semi-transparent overhead projector transparency paper using permanent markers of varying thickness. To achieve fine textures, numerous images are initially drawn on regular paper, allowing for the use of various artistic materials such as crayon, pastel, and pen. These images are then photocopied onto acetate, enabling tonal gradations and intricate details.
In the darkroom, the acetate is placed on photographic paper, exposed, and processed using traditional darkroom chemicals. The final illustrations exhibit a striking contrast between the visual fragility of the lines and the graphic black and white starkness of the photograms.
Influences
Photography traditionally sought to capture truth and accuracy, shaping Western Culture’s understanding through likeness. The photogram challenges photographic norms, introducing ambiguity and mystery. It strips images of their power to faithfully represent, returning to the interplay of black and white, emphasising form over narrative. It captures transient moments like a photographer’s theatre.
Initially known as ‘photogenic drawings,’ photograms have evolved into an artistic medium, inspiring diverse designs and surreal imagery. Influences include 20th Century experimental photographers like Moholy Nagy, Man Ray, and Lotte Jacobi, known for their personal expression through photograms. The medium’s early use as a scientific record of natural objects, as seen in Anna Atkins’ work, drove material experimentation. In the second phase of photogram history, artists like Christian Schad, Man Ray, and Lazlo Nagy pushed boundaries, akin to Dada, Surrealist, and Constructivist art movements. My work explores the narrative aspect rarely seen in photograms, inspired by Mary Schepisi’s “Speculations” series.
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