Looking at the relationship between unconventional photographic techniques, the photographic archive and a personal fine art practice : a case study with a specific focus on cyanotypes

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the relationship between unconventional photographic techniques and the photographic archive within a reflective fine art practice. The primary focus is centred on the re-interpretation of the family photo album through the alternative photographic medium of cyanotype. The use of the archival photographic collection fused with the medium of cyanotype, contributes to expanded photographic practices as the photographs are revived to emulate a repository of memory, legacy and sentiment. The archive which is used throughout the practical work is stemming from a personal family album, which was originally compiled by the researcher’s great-grandfather and has been passed down through three generations. This study emerged from a deep interest in a substantial collection of family photographs dating back to 1919, that has made its way to the researcher. The personal connection to the album was the driving force behind this study, as the archive served an academic discourse and deeply reflective process that is consistent with intergenerational memory, a vessel of reflection and sentiment. Engaging with the photographic album along with its maker rekindled long forgotten stories, demonstrating a first-hand view on the album’s potential to revive and preserve memory, which in turn, leads to a strong reflective connection. This corresponds to the research question focusing on the relationship between the photographic archive and an artist’s reflective practice. The notion of a family album is expanded by looking past it being a tool for documentation but homing in on the relationship between man and the fleeting nature of time. Throughout this dissertation, key terms emerged; preservation, loss and memory which are critically investigated through theoretical frameworks such as Derrida’s Archive Fever (1995). The family album, often regarded as unprofessional or amateur, has been challenged in contemporary artistic practices; this is explored through the observation of artists and their re-interpretation of these images. This project draws attention to the photographic archive beyond it being a mere record of the past, but as an active site for constant recontextualisation. This dissertation consists of four chapters, beginning with the theoretical investigation of the archive which transitions into the practice-based aspect of the project. This writing refers to a broad range of contemporary artists who combine alternative printing techniques with the use of their own family album, and how this can offer insight of personal history into the broader cultural narrative of history. Whilst contributing to the ongoing revival surrounding alternative printing techniques.