to prime ii
2021
Carbon prints on glass; suckling pig head gelatin and bones, water, sugar, carbon black, light
Commissioned by Para Site for 'Noble Rot' Part 1, 2046 Fermentation + Fellowships
This second iteration of to prime is a continued study of the history of photography and more widely, the history of art, through the material and conceptual investigation of gelatin. A sticky colloid gelling agent created by boiling animal connective tissues in water, gelatin is used in art processes as a glue, a pigment binder, a preparatory priming agent, to name a few uses. From the use of mingjiao in Chinese painting to the use of rabbit-skin glue in western oil painting, this intermediary substance is often overlooked in its essential role across artistic traditions.
In a photo-graph, light becomes a mark making for drawing upon a prepared surface. In carbon printing, what we see in the resulting image is pigment trapped in gelatin, hardened by UV light. Carbon prints are known for their extreme archival performance. Without the use of a colloid to either suspend photosensitive chemicals or trap pigment, photographic images inevitably deteriorate over time. The remnants of an animal body allow us to access these images for current and future viewing; such is a glimpse into the privilege and the violence that constitutes the history of the technology of photography.
Special thank you to Damon Lam for his time and generous help on these alternative photographic processes and Chan Ting for the darkroom use.