Last week we looked at our artist statements in class, and edited my statement down to this:
The Lumen process is serendipitous, unpredictable and liberating. I never know exactly what the results will be—some plants record their leaves’ vein structure on the photographic paper with great detail and exactness, while others wither very rapidly from the solar heat, leaving “ghosted” images of themselves on the paper as they shrink. Through experience, I’ve learned roughly what colors will be produced by certain exposure times, but something new happens every time—a new color is produced, chlorophyll from the plant is pressed into the paper—and is never again replicated. The ever-surprising nature of this process is what draws me so intensely to it. I am allowed to put off the very exact, precise nature of working with the mechanical camera, and completely let go. By going out and collecting plants to create these prints, I am able to find my place in Nature, and discover the plants’ place in art.
Today we went over our revisions/edits and clarified them even more. Unfortunately I left my print out of my statement that has all my edit marks on it in my darkroom. I’ll post that revision tomorrow. Please feel free to edit and comment about this revision in the meantime.