ASTIGMA | Psychotic Interpretations of a World in Gum is a collection of gum dichromate prints exploring new and other realities through the lens of alternative process photography. The technical process of gum printing, a process which is heavily reliant on layering to create full color images, is central to the portrayal of these differing realities. Because the process is dependent on color separations, when the pigment corresponding to a layer is switched, the entire scene, landscape, portrait, undergoes a tonal shift, change in contrast, or other visual distortion.
To distort a scene is not to misrepresent it, nor is it to represent what could be. The works’ namesake ‘astigmatism’ aims to birth other realities by playing with our perceptions of them.
The core of this work is to share the process of gum dichromate printing and how it has become more useful and accessible thanks to technological advancements. Color separations can now be created and calibrated digitally, and ultraviolet exposure is easier to measure than ever. this exhibition is heavily rooted in research, recorded information like pigments, chemistry measurements, exposure times, etc. become a part of the work, allowing for the viewers careful analysis, deconstruction, and eventual education about the piece.
Body of Work
