Mineral, Plant (Phytography and Crystallography)

“Such images challenge preconceptions of photography as a representational and reproductive medium. If at times ambiguous and resisting firm classification, they equally leave open a welcome space for imagination.”

Martin Barnes, in Cameraless Photography, V&A Publishing, Londres, 2018

Sensography is a term coined by Imagerie to name a series of workshops dedicated to exploring different cameraless photography processes based on silver-based light-sensitive materials (black-and-white papers and films).

In the Sensography 2 – Mineral, Vegetal workshop, participants are challenged to explore both the visual and photochemical properties of plants and minerals through an alternative, experimental use of classic photographic materials and procedures.

Without the mediation of a camera, fascinating processes allow deep connections to develop between eye, body and matter.

In the first session, participants explore the potential chemical relationships between plants and silver-based light-sensitive materials (phytography). For the second session, various crystals are grown on transparent supports, and their remarkable geometric forms are enlarged in a traditional photographic darkroom (crystallography).

Sensography 2

Imagerie > Workshops > Sensography 2

November 8th and 15th

Phytography of a leaf showing detailed skeletal vein patterns and organic cell structures.

Workshop outline

Session 1:

Introduction to phytography and to Karel Doing’s research on the relationship between nature and photography
Making photographic developer from plants
Printing plants onto paper and film
Analysing the results
Growing crystals on transparent supports

Session 2:

Introduction to the black-and-white darkroom (enlargers and chemistry)
Printing enlargements of the grown crystals, using botanical developers
Analysing the results

Learning objectives

Explore the properties of plants and minerals as potential photographic material.
Make photographic developers from plants.
Grow crystals and observe the growth of their geometric forms.
Learn to work in a traditional black-and-white darkroom.