Against the Storm
Emma Powell’s series entitled The Shadow Catcher’s
Daughter is a cross between reality and dream.
She uses tea and wine to tone the cyanotypes in her work. Powell has
this to say about her work: I use self-portraiture to articulate personal narratives,
which are often both nightmare and fantasy. Human, animal, and environmental
forms interact in unexpected ways to symbolize discoveries and conflicts in my
intimate relationships. I use the cyanotype process to suggest an alternative
space, such as a dream or memory. This historic process obscures the subjects’
location in time and creates a backdrop for archetypal universal symbols. These
images are toned with tea and wine to produce a range of additional warmer
tones, making them seem more natural. I choose these substances for the acidic
effect on the chemistry, as well as their influence on communication and
memory. Although photography is normally considered a medium that represents
the present, visible world, in my work I attempt to make visual what cannot be
seen in place or time.
Dusk
Bear
These images are incredibly beautiful to me. Most are very
simplistic, which is something that I really admire. She is able to create this
wonderfully complex and interesting narrative without going over the top using
tons of props. What is even more interesting about this work is that these are
toned cyanotypes. I really love the soft and nostalgic quality that the toning
gives these images. This technique really does create the impression of
memories and a type of universal meaning that Powell strives for with her work.
Where There is Smoke
Oblivion
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