Tag: Experimental Darkroom

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North

Seeking Identity Close up

I feel so privileged to be mentioned in Volume 4 of ‘North’ as part of Jo Garrett’s wonderful interview on the darkroom.

North Magazine, Volume 4 featuring Jane Elizabeth Bennett and Jo Garrett
North Magazine, Volume 4 Jo Garrett’s Interview featuring Jane Elizabeth Bennett

I love the way that Jo talks about the magic of the darkroom, the physical interactions between chemistry and light, it is alchemy and I adore it. I think it is so easy to disassociate the physicality of making work from the final outcome which often ends up, framed and pristine, on a white wall.

When I’m working in the darkroom with Jo, I can relax. We often discuss the crossovers and co-dependencies of printmaking and photography. How each process informs, shapes and directs the evolution of the other, while still remaining very separate artforms.

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August Experimentation

Developing 3D scans, 2018, August Experiments, Jane Elizabeth Bennett

August is the best month to have artistic explorations as the campus is quieter and my main focus is readying the studios for the coming academic year.

Strangely, I find the cleaning and sorting is good for my work ethic and working on in the studios themselves help focus my artistic experimentation.

Lithography and Screenprint, 2018, Jane Elizabeth Bennett, August Artistic Experimentation
Metallic Lithograph on Screen-print, 2018, Jane Elizabeth Bennett, August Artistic Experimentation

Heaven is in the making
Remains unfinished
A possibility
If there’s a glimpse of it
In the little dance of tongues

Einsturzende Neubauten – Heaven Is Of Honey

The links to music and philosophy may not be immediately obvious within my work, but I am as much influenced by rhythm in language and dissonant chords as I am influenced by visual artists. The gently clanged rhythms and gorgeous singing of Blixa Bargeld is the perfect soundtrack to grow artwork within.

There is also something so incredibly exciting about work in progress. It isn’t finished or complete and I don’t empirically ‘know’ at this point how it will turn out. There are small glimpses of it and endless possibilities. It’s very exciting.

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Experimental Darkroom

Digital Darkroom Print, black and white pixelation on photographic paper, Living Photography

Darkroom photography has always held a fascination for me. There is something magical about taking a photograph in one place and then summoning its appearance in another. I think it’s the closest to alchemy that I’m likely to get – but what is more exciting than following the rules of the darkroom  – is breaking the rules. I met Joanna Garrett, a specialist in ‘experimental darkroom’ in 2017 and she has had me hooked ever since.

The experimental darkroom differs from the traditional darkroom in a number of ways – mainly that it there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way of utilizing it, the aim is to find a methodology and aesthetic that work ‘for you’. Through trial, error and lots of research, we are working collaboratively as well as individually in order to develop new bodies of work.

This way of working fits with my printmaking and installation practice and the thrill of finding something that works, as well as subverting a traditional method really excites me. To read more about my experiments with softground etching click here. 

For more information on my worked with sensors, animation and sound click here.

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