Zo Damage 10/27/23 Zo Damage 10/27/23

Fogging and spray bottles

Developing Possibilities

To make "Possibilities", I exploited radical darkroom processes and the constraints of my home-based darkroom to evoke and – to some degree, isolate and control – specific abstractions into the work.

To illuminate, by embracing the ambient light leaking onto the balcony, I was able to exploit the occurrence of fogging.[1] This was achieved by applying chemical treatments with sponge brushes and spray bottles – in specific sections and with deliberate gestures – while the print continued to develop. In doing so, I was able to have control – albeit marginal – over the material agency of the brush strokes and indexical painterly gestures introduced into the artwork.

Figure 1. “Possibilities” (detail), 2023

Footnotes

[1] Ambient light during the development stages causes fogging. Like weather fogging, photographic fogging affects the entire surface of the light-sensitive substrate – film or paper – with an overall blanket of tone. The grey tone thus overtakes the whites – or light areas – in the resulting prints (Figure 1). The longer the exposure – as with other photographic exposure techniques – the darker the overall tone.

Zo Damage 8/17/23 Zo Damage 8/17/23

Possibilities 1

The latter half of my practice-led research for Studio 3 began with developing a new project titled Possibilities. A work in progress, the concept for the project is situated at the juncture where alternative modes of image capture meet radical darkroom processes to investigate the potentiality of “chaos and instability”, whereby chaos provides the system with an inevitable state of unknowing from which unexpected activity patterns can be developed (Schuldberg 2011, 188).[1]

In contrast to past work, including Across a synapse (Figure 1), Respite (Figure 2) and Spheres (Figure 3), Possibilities combines alternative analogue photography – using in-camera multi-exposed captures (Figure 4) – with radical experimental darkroom processes to create a unique gelatin silver polyptych wall mural comprising nine 700x1270mm vertical panels from the one negative, which, when installed, would measure approximately 7 metres (Figure 8).

**Figure 1.** *Across a synapse*, 2022, digitally enhanced scan of unique 203x254mm (8x10”) solarised gelatin silver print

**Figure 2.** *Respite*, 2022, 1900x1200mm (approx) unique polyptych print comprising a single 35mm exposure over fifteen 370x370mm hand-torn sheets of gelatin silver paper, hand brushed to develop. Installation view, Level 3, Building 49, RMIT University Melbourne, 2023

**Figure 3.** *Spheres*, 2023, unique print comprising single 35mm exposure over three hand-torn sheets of gelatin silver paper (650mmx1.27 metres approx sheet size), hand brushed to develop, 2.1x1.27 metres installed (approx). Installation view, Level 2, Building 39, RMIT University Melbourne, 2023

**Figure 4.** *Possibilities*, 2022, scan of 35mm in-camera multi-exposed negative (continous capture spanning 3.5 frames)

Recent studies have found that “Several characteristics of chaos are seen in the creative process and product”. The author continues, stating, “Artistic work is very sensitive to stimuli and speaks of the role of the ‘inconsequential’ in art, the unpredictable but not random influences” (Schuldberg 2011, 188). These theories contextualise several practice-led systems I have developed to explore and prompt novel and compelling ways to produce aesthetically informed works of art to extend my visual language (Bryant 1986, 102).

Notably, experimental photography, as with abstract painting seen in the work of greats such as Picasso, requires “proficiency in the conventional execution of techniques and strategies – such as composition, exposure settings and the inherent qualities of base materials, including film and substrates – is essential before understanding how to exploit and debase the rules of the medium that reflect intent and purpose to achieve successful results in the final works of art” (Damage 2022, 32).

**Figure 5.** Drawing concepts for oversized polyptych wall mural during supervisor meeting, 2023. Getting ideas out of my head and onto paper is an important part of my creative process

**Figure. 6.** Contact sheets of negatives are made to check the integrity of the captures in the first stage of shortlisting the images I will work with to create the oversized polyptych wall mural, 2023

**Figure 7.** Untitled (Spheres), 2023, scan of 35mm negative used to create my unique gelatin silver print, *Spheres*

**Figure 8.** Virtual installation rough of Untitled spheres (Figure 3) and *Possibilities* (Figure 4) help troubleshoot what works and what does not, thus helping in shortlisting the selection of images I have chosen to work with, 2023

**Figure 9.** InDesign rough used to generate initial scaled laser print prototypes for *Possibilities* wave wall (Figure 11) and polyptych wall mural (Figure 12) concepts, 2023

**Figure 10.** Notated InDesign rough used to generate initial scaled laser print prototypes for *Possibilities* wave wall (Figure 11) and polyptych wall mural (Figure 12) concepts, 2023

**Figure 11.** Initial scaled laser print prototype for *Possibilities* wave wall concept, 2023

**Figure 1012** Initial scaled laser print prototype for *Possibilities* polyptych wall mural concept, 2023

Darkroom tests

Figure 13. *Possibilities*, 350x140mm gelatin silver proof, detail print of approx 2/3 of negative with 120 second exposure, 2023

**Figure 14.** *Possibilities*, 350x140mm gelatin silver proof, detail print of approx 2/3 of negative with a 60 second exposure, 2023. To expose the negative at its intended size (1.2 metres on the narrow edge), the enlarger must be approximately 4 metres from the substrate, weakening the light source, increasing the exposure times ten

Figure 15. *Possibilities*, 350x140mm gelatin silver proof, detail print of approx 2/3 of negative with 120 second exposure, 2023. Anticipated issues arising from excessive exposure include fogging, where the exposed print becomes murky like fog. As such, the darkroom processes must be reassessed to cultivate more desirable outcomes

Mural print tests

Footnotes

[1] According to Schuldberg (2011, 188), “The creative process must avoid stasis, stagnation, and premature closure, capture by fixed-point or limit-cycle attractors, and the strictures of an imperious environment. The author continues, stating that “Chaotic systems may demonstrate healthy flexibility, adaptability, readiness for change, resistance to environmental entrapment, autonomy, and openness to new information” (ibid).

Bibliography

Bryant, Eric. 1986. “Photoworks: When Pictures Vanish.” Library Journal 121 (10): 102. https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/docview/196788978/citation/37E6B5F915B5444APQ/1?accountid=13552.

Damage, Zo. 2022. “Master of Fine Art, Studio 2, Combined methodology report with folio of artworks”. PDF.

Schuldberg, D. 2011. “Chaos Theory And Creativity”. Encyclopedia of Creativity, 183-191.doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-375038-9.00037-6.

Zo Damage 3/21/23 Zo Damage 3/21/23

230321 Studio 3

Large vert wall mural concept

Project concept 1 (Figures 1-8)

Exposure of single 35mm negative on hand-cut strips of gelatin silver paper with finished print measuring approximately 1200mm high x 4000mm wide. InDesign roughs within. Design based on Respite (Figure 12).

Project concept 2 (Figure 9)

Exposure of several overlapping 35mm negatives on hand-cut strips of gelatin silver paper with finished print measuring approximately 1.2 meters high x 10 meters wide. Design based on Respite (Figure 12) by exposing onto hand-cut strips of gelatin silver paper, combined with methods used to create Trust (Figure 13) overlapping single exposures on a single roll of gelatin silver paper.

The two project concepts outlined above aim to further develop my practice, refining and expanding on analogue film photography and alternative processes explored in Studios 1 and 2 of my MFA study.

When designing artwork I generally begin with making digital roughs in InDesign to troubleshooting image styles and compositions before running darkroom tests, making captures specifically for the projects, or selecting from negatives from my archive.

What follows provides a brief visual outline of my initial concepts.