posted on 2021-05-23, 12:19authored byKelly Thielen
As digital media replaces traditional chemical experimentation, the photograph as an object made from chemicals and light has been replaced by a technology that embodies only the image. Even traditional slide projections and the more current digital presentations do not accurately portray the photograph as an object, focusing instead on its surface image. This thesis combines production of actual photographic objects, along with technical descriptions, chemical recipes and formulas. The project, created to be a teaching collection and process sample guide uses Robert Hunt's early photographic descriptions from both A Popular Treatise on the Art of Photography (1841) and A Manual of Photography (1853). The actual collection of objects that is the product of this work is held at Ryerson University and George Eastman House. It is comprised of a clamshell box that houses photographic processes including The Chromatype, The Energiatype and The Fluorotype, along with a self-published book. The photographs and text are intended for use as a resource for photography students, teachers, historians and museums with an advanced knowledge of and interest in photography.
History
Language
English
Degree
Master of Arts
Program
Photographic Preservation and Collections Management