ARTIST INFORMATION STATEMENT
MEDIUM: Polaroid SX-70 Manipulation (Photography)
This uniquely creative process is possible because of what was once considered a technical flaw! Polaroid’s Time Zero Film (created exclusively for sx-70 cameras or inserts) was a technological breakthrough taking consumers out of the messy “peel apart” era and into the clean, self-contained packs of film we still use today. While providing incredibly vibrant colors, Time Zero Film was plagued with an easily damaged soft emulsion. For the creative spirit, however, selective damage often yields wonderful results.
Once an image is captured, the 3 by 3 inch Polaroid print is directly worked on with various tools (i.e. a burnishing tool, the cap of a pen, a toothpick, etc.) at various times of development by applying varying amounts of pressure to achieve the desired results... which, of course, vary. The image is then scanned at a high resolution and edited with a computer to obtain the final digital file used for printing. Computer editing is simply used to correct for any color and/or contrast deviations created during the scanning process. The actual "painterly" effect of sx-70 Manipulation is completely created by hand. To maintain artistic integrity, all prints are archival Giclée prints on watercolor paper or canvas.
Polaroid sx-70 Manipulation became my passion after I accidentally stumbled across it while experimenting with various alternative photographic processes. With years of practice (and patience) and help from friends, I have been able to significantly raise the level of my competency as well as develop a style that I feel sets me apart from the few other practitioners of this art form. Besides being an sx-70 artist, I am also a Father, Husband, Playwright, Pharmacist and Poet.
