Artists Statement
The works in this exhibition are a collection of images that were done during a photo trip for Spectrum Art Gallery members in 2016 to Bodie, CA. Bodie, named after W.S. Body who discovered gold nearby, became a boomtown after a rich ore vein was found in 1875. Its population surged but began declining in 1881, with mining ceasing in 1942. Fires in 1892 and 1932 destroyed most of the town’s buildings. Now preserved in a state of "arrested decay," Bodie is a National Historic Site and State Historic Park, attracting tourists from around the world.
While I was following the light, finding compositions, and exploring each building and interior, I noticed mirrors throughout the spaces explored. I thought this would be a fun way to include myself into the experience, in a not-so-obvious way.
Over the years, I have shown several of the photographs from the trip to Bodie - many were of dilapidated shelves, buildings in arrested decay, and objects left behind by their owners many, many years ago. However, for this exhibition, I wanted to finally show the work I did for myself.
To remain inside of the experience, I chose the Van Dyke Brown Print process to showcase these images - a photographic process that was active during the time that Bodie was active and lively. Van Dyke Brown is a historical photographic printing process named after the Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck, known for the rich brown tones in his work. This process was patented in Germany in 1895 by Arndt and Troost, the process was originally known by several names, including “sepia print” and “brown print.”
The process involves coating a canvas or paper with a solution of ferric ammonium citrate, tartaric acid, and silver nitrate. Once dried, the coated surface is exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light, forming an image. After exposure, the print is developed by rinsing it in water and then in a fixing solution (commonly hypo) to make the image permanent. The resulting print has the distinctive warm, brown tone characteristic of the Van Dyke brown process. Unlike many traditional photographic methods, this technique does not require a darkroom.
The collection of these five "selfies" allowed me to immerse myself into the environment of Bodie, captured and presented in a process that was relevant to the time. I cannot think of a better way to showcase these images, and I do hope you, the view, enjoyed them.