After an examination of ideas and space, I found an Ilford photographic paper in the cupboard.
During my video call with the tutor, I spoke about some concepts and showed him the photographic paper that I discovered. Alan introduced me to the notion of photograms, and I found it incredibly appealing. I don’t have chemicals to process them correctly, but I decided to experiment nevertheless.
I distributed a few sheets of paper around the boat and on a roof, then I placed objects on top of them and installed them in all manner of way. I waited, occasionally checking and observing results. I learned several things from this practice, mostly not to leave the photographic paper for too long as it fades away and loses the prints, unlike a photogram developed traditionally with chemical substances. I gained the knowledge to be especially attentive when determining the objects to trace with (however, I genuinely enjoyed the freedom of exploring).
I believe that presently, I have a better understanding of recognizing what works more effectively, is more engaging, and how to manipulate objects and light to fit my concept.
I achieved a captivating result by placing broken bottles of glitter on Ilford paper. My selected one is unquestionably the rope photogram, which I left for a few hours on the roof of the boat.
I checked on this photogram several times, moved the rope, and placed weight on it till I was satisfied with the outcome.
Photographic paper on a shelf with records on top of it, I left it for days as vinyl records almost entirely shielded it from the light.
I watched a few videos to study and understand the technique.
During the research, I encountered this incredibly exquisite and inspiring work by Michael Jackson. I am utterly captivated by his artwork and will definitely be returning to it for inspiration.
I feel like a photogram is a technique very close to my heart, fulfilling and stimulating abstract vision for my photographic journey. I am completely thrilled about the results and looking forward to engrossing myself within the art of photograms frequently.
Ela Skorska 