The Sanded Photographic Prints
During the Christmas break of 2015, I returned to the physical photograph. I was examining some of the photos in this collection when I noticed one image in particular. This small print represents two women standing on a train platform, however, a lens flare, obscures one of the figure’s faces. I was struck by the way this visual erasure of the image resembled a “sanding away” of the image. It was at this moment that I questioned to myself, “what if I was to physically sand away the emulsion?” Taking a piece of 1500 grit Emery paper I began sanding other photographs from this collection. Immediately I was engaged – engaged in the sanding gesture but also excited at how the image was being transformed. By interacting with the information contained in the photograph I realized that I was rewriting the narrative of the image, a narrative that had been held in suspension for many years. Unknown Passenger, Sanded Photographic Print, 2015 Photo with lens flar