Polaroids fascinate me, its science in a box, the biological human dictating a physics based device and then a animistic chemistry reaction , the Polaroid notion has a Romanticism to it, and its the one camera fanaticism I get , the spurr of the moment encapsulated within a window. its a tangible result there in your hand with a developed picture in 15-120 seconds. last year I attempted to acquire a passport photo Polaroid camera. but was thwarted by negative balance in my trade me account. and theres a sense of disappointment at not getting to try it personally, with revival attempt looking a few years off. its a integral part of history a nogistalic entity for many a symbol of another time.
The exhibition consisted of series of Polaroid grids showing details, a scene built up by many different shots, showing detail of the models form, clothes, face etc and the surrounding objects the image built up from 36+ shots, so often subjects were doubled over which makes them look significantly busy in appearance at first, especially when you try to look at the image as a whole.
The feel of it was quite subdued in the palette. Salmon, orangy, yellows the squares of glossy picture surrounded by white rectangles. with occasional colours seeping in like blues and greens from clothing or furniture. the curve of the the human form contrasted inside the straight edges of the media.
I <3 geometrical arrangements of photos, and how it comes of like a memory. how when you take in something visualy you break it down into small fragements. a collection of observations. like the little things you notice about someone you like. the photos guide you through this, frame by frame adding something new to the dialougue. a capture of a moment of time. yet these individual frames show motion and capture of personality.
I got to talk to the artist as he cleaned up the bottles and glasses from the gallery party. He talked about how he started them one and a half years ago, since he was asked to have a work at the opening of a hip hop style gallery's opening, and felt underwhelmed by just showing a photograph when the others had large muralesque works. so he decided to shoot using Polaroids, inspired by a mural of a deceased k road tatto artist. he started with a planned out sketch of what he wanted to do get in the grid.(note this is based of my memory so facts might be off)
I loved how the works weren't supported by a pompous plethora of artistic waffling with a mundane picture gaining its meaning through the thousand words accompanying it.these works stood there on their own. the beauty of them up by themselves untainted. there on the wall in their simplistic complexity. the natural human curve forms within the straight lines.i loved the shapes the occasional break in the shapes with a whole object contained or a missing Polaroid, the occasional imperfections. the colours, and the contrast of the matte white borders on each shot with the gloss of the picture encapsulated. the scale, and repitsion of forms from another angle or composition, I left in awe of them inspired and saddened about the demise of the medium
It was the first exhibition that I've been tempted to take acquire something,but the two that I loved had already bought can't find picture of them either , it would have been tempting if they weren't, especially since due to the nature of Polaroids there wouldn't be any reprints.
Stephens website Stil Photgraphy
pictures acquired from here and here
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