Artist Notes - Darkroom Series
For me, the darkroom remains a place of mystery and anticipation, alive with the spirit of alchemy. My work is strongly defined by the Chromoskedasic process I use to develop my prints. Its inherent unpredictability and experimental nature lends itself to the themes of chance in the work, becoming both the medium and the subject matter. Calling attention to moment of anticipation rather than the outcome of fate, these layered collages evoke desperate, often humorous, attempts to predict and control our uncertain circumstances with lucky charms and other guessing games.
The Chromoskedasic Process
Process is big part of my work both both as a photographic medium and as subject matter. I have been working with a particular chemical process that I read about in an old View Camera magazine over ten years ago. The very first time I tried it I was hooked by the unpredictable nature of the chemical process. The darkroom became a magic place alive with the spirit of alchemy and haunted by images appearing and disappearing right before your very eyes.
The View Camera article called the process Chromoskedasic, a word derived from Greek meaning, "colored by light scattering". I guess I felt the name was a little vague or hokey or difficult to pronounce so I never used it when describing my work or technique. Instead I used the equally vague: "chemically toned". But recently I began researching the science behind it and I realized that while there are many alternate names for different chemical processes, this "Chromoskedasic" has begun to stick.
In a nutshell, this method allows you to produce color images on traditional black and white photo paper. The chemical reaction during exposure to light alters the silver particles that are embedded in the surface of the paper. Silver particles of different sizes scatter different wavelengths of light, yielding various colors. Often the effect is a highly reflective mirror-like surface, similar to a daguerreotype.
The experimental nature of the Chromoskedasic process lends itself to the themes of chance and the unexpected outcome that are prevalent in my work. Because getting there is half the fun, these works call attention to moment of anticipation rather than the outcome of fate.
If you want to learn more about the process check out William L. Jolly's Solarization Demystified