Sites Of Erosion

Exhibition Description:

Sites of Erosion is a solo exhibition of recent work by Julianna Martin. Through experimental analog methods including mordançage, Polaroid emulsion lifts, and large-format silver gelatin prints, Martin explores themes of place, aging, and decay. The exhibition features a large-scale video projection of floating Polaroid emulsions, photographs of industrial sites and bodies, and landscapes from the Sierra Nevada region. Martin’s process-based approach emphasizes the materiality and slowness of photography, unraveling the medium’s layers to reveal the photograph as a physical, dimensional object. Her work aims to create a tension between experimental photographic processes and images that capture the body and landscape in states of transformation.

Artist Statement:

“In this body of work, I see erosion happening within multiple realms ranging from literal to metaphorical. I view erosion as transformations that occur within the landscape and environment, through the aging process of the body, and also within the image and photograph itself. Erosion is often caused by water overtime, and with the Polaroid emulsion lift process I use boiling water to lift up the gelatin layer of the photograph and separate it. In this way, I see a parallel between erosion or decay of the photograph in its original form and the Polaroid emulsions.”

Learn more about the exhibition through this video tour or in an interview with Julianna.