The Philosophy is the Recipe
Eddie. This is a colour scan of a black and white negative I developed using Andrés Pardo’s Eco Somatic Process
Practicing the Practical art of Persistence
This week, I’ve been developing black and white 35mm film in partnership with materials and environment under the guidance of Andrés Pardo of Curiosolab.
(I’m not going to share all my results here, you’ll have to buy a ticket to The Art of Experimentation Symposium on the 1st Aug in Bristol which is going to be a fabulous day of knowledge sharing. It’s hosted by Sophie of the Bristol Folkhouse Darkroom and Elizabeth of the Women in Alternative Photography Group, along with a brilliant list of speakers there will be an opportunity for attendees to bring their own work for discussion and go on a photowalk in the afternoon).
Unlearning the Rules
Eco Somatic, developed by Andrés Pardo of Curiosolab, is about taking what we know about standard analogue processes in the darkroom and unlearning them.
Negative Eddie developed with the least amount of carbon footprint I could manage - used coffee grinds and the sun to warm the chemistry.
Embrace the Results
We don’t embrace the mistakes, we embrace the results. Sometimes the result is not the image at the end, but the ferment in the middle or the gathering of materials at the start.
The Philosophy is the Recipe
I have gone through so many variations of recipes under countless variables like the weather and I have come to the realisation that the philosophy is the recipe. What works for me on a summer’s evening with my gathered materials will probably work in a different way during the winter, this approach to photography truly becomes seasonal.
Andrés’s Eco Somatic process moves beyond celsius, millilitres and grams (tools of mechanised repetition) while understanding and creating a symbiotic relationship with the materials involved.
As an artist, for me, exploring the materials by working in partnership with them adds another dimension to my arts practice. It rejects extractive practices connected with colonialism, capitalism and patriarchal systems; themes I often visit in my work.
You can find out more about the Eco Somatic Process on the Curiosolab website by clicking here.