submerged

Submerged #3

I made a big discovery with my latest batch of submerged Polaroids - heat. I hadn’t quite appreciated the intense heat we had in the summer played quite a major part in the ‘cooking’ of my previous Polaroids. They bubbled away for 3 months, while the chemicals did their thing…

Well, my cold winter batch barely changed despite the addition of bleach, followed by white spirits, turpentine and finally after my patience got the better of me - oven cleaner. The changes were still minimal. On reflection, I wish I had stopped there. Too late - within seconds - two images virtually perished in the microwave, I would have continued but the flames were quite worrying.

So, next it was the turn of the oven. Not a bad result - initially - but I got distracted… they are quite crispy now and pretty far gone. Interesting though.

Not to be deterred, I have revisited these Polaroids and have been rewarded with something quite interesting, but you will have to wait until the next post.

Submerged

Patience is a virtue - after waiting 3 months my submerged landscapes are ready. I wanted to see what would happen if I left my Polaroids in a vat of water for three months, adding a little bleach at various intervals - I was not disappointed, my landscapes have become unpredicatable ‘other worldly places’, altering reality and taking on a new identity. Surreal and bizarre, bringing out colours that originally could not be seen. Each one showcases the unique properties of the chemical emulsions.