When some of my archive of transparencies became accidentally exposed to damp, I noticed how bacteria, fungi and protists had taken hold — rather than destroying the images, the invaders had created a complex web of patterns, colours and textures, producing unique new pictures. I was struck by the creative potential (this random action had created something more than the original image and seemed to demand answers from, ask questions of, the viewer), but also by the idea of capturing the ‘traces’ of this microscopic world. I have since developed a technique for repeating the process, ‘cooking’ 35mm slides, 120mm transparencies and 5”x4” film, experimenting with the duration of incubation, temperature and environment. After careful observation and at a precisely chosen moment, the resulting transparencies are then photographed on a light screen. Some digital manipulation is undertaken to enhance the effect.
The surface detail is an important component of the work and I have included some detail pictures. Size is in pixels (printing standard: 300pixels per inch).
