Fluid Memory Series

In this body of work, I aimed to push the boundaries of Polaroid emulsions by exploring their potential through both the emulsion lift process and darkroom printing techniques. Central to my process was the idea of material experimentation and transformation—specifically, how Polaroid images, which are inherently flat, can be liberated from their two-dimensional constraints and allowed to momentarily take on a new life. I have always been captivated by the tension that arises when peeling apart the layers of a Polaroid and immersing it in water. In those moments before it is transferred to another surface, the image seems to momentarily defy its form, becoming almost sculptural. The water serves as a kind of intermediary substrate, enabling the image to break away from its original state, offering it the possibility of rebirth and transformation.

Drawing inspiration from this idea of fluidity, I began experimenting with floating negatives in water in the darkroom, using both medium format and 4x5 negatives. By suspending them between the enlarger and the paper, I sought to create a similar sense of movement and fluidity, allowing the images to float and interact with the photo paper in new ways. I also incorporated actual Polaroid emulsions into my experiments, using a contact printing/photogram technique to expose them while suspended in water. The result is a series of prints that reflect both the fragility and resilience of memory, faith, ritual, and nature; transforming the images into something that exists in a liminal space between two and three dimensions.

The content of this work reflects my personal exploration of faith, family, and nature. My personal history informs the images of bare branches and the interiors of churches, which together blur the boundaries between the natural world and the sacred. The floating images and the use of water as a medium are metaphors for fluid memory and shifting beliefs. Through this work I explore questions about where we place our faith: in nature, in family, in higher powers, or in institutions. This project taught me that the act of creating, whether through manipulating images or reflecting on the forces that shape our lives, is a way to make sense of the intangible. What holds our memories? What sustains our faith? These are the questions that guided this work, as I believe that, like the images in this project, faith and memory are always in flux, waiting to be reshaped and even reborn.