Thesis 2020 by Dhaniah Binti Abdul Samad

Is there value in Weathering? A photographic essay on imperfection

Dhaniah Samad MArch Architectural Thesis March 2020 Supervised by John Bell

Content

Introduction

Chapter 1

Weathering in Architecture & Photography

Chapter 2

Analogue Photography

Chapter 3

Photographic Process Negative Process

Darkroom Printing Process

Chapter 4

Layering

Chapter 5

Duality in Photography

Chapter 6

Digital Simulacrum of Ageing & Fake Weathering

Chapter 7

Defects, Imperfection & Wabi Sabi

Conclusion

Bibliography

Appendices

Figure 1.0 Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park, London (Author, 2019)

Introduction

A building’s value differs when its exterior appearance is changed or damaged gradually in time by nature (Mostafavi, 1993). A weathered cathedral may be appreciated aesthetically, whereas the staining or leeching from concrete walls can be seen as entirely negative. Architecture has always been designed with weather; it is a consideration, whether inclusively or in isolation. However, the priority and role of weather in the design process varies. The perception and toleration of weathered buildings also differs. The maintenance of a building can be seen as our denying its ageing process. To study the weathering phenomenon of a building, I would need a longer time frame. Thus, the question that first came to mind was – how can I research through experimental means the value of weathering through a shorter time frame? Firstly, looking at architecture through recent history, it has always been

documented through photography. Photography has been hugely significant in architecture since the beginning of the medium. Throughout the existence of a building, we can look back in time on the circumstances of the buildings in its ageing years through captured images. Studying photography on its own, it has a universal purpose of recording frozen conditions and moments in time as a forensic approach. However, what is not immediately registered by looking at a physical photograph is that photography has its own analogous set of artefacts. In reference to Barthes, a photograph itself is always carried with its referent. It is never just a photograph; it is always a photograph of . . . , pointing out the duality of a photograph (Barthes, Howard and Dyer, 2010). Based on the history of photographic processes, there were many methods used since the existence of the Camera

Obscura. I will be focusing on the analogue process of 35mm film rolls that are still used today. Similar to buildings, a physical photograph from the past shows qualities of being weathered through time. Additionally, under certain circumstances, the photograph produces different kinds of weathering. Throughout this thesis research, I will be going through analogue and digital processes to research the phenomenon of weathering and to consider whether it has value. Although digital photography is most commonly used now, especially with the convenience of the camera feature on smartphones, it seems that editing the appearance of images – particularly applying analogue filters – has become widely favoured. Does this mean the analogue appearance has value? Photography and buildings aside, the weathering of (something) is popular in other areas as well. To name a few, guitar

relicing, antiquing furniture and distressed fashion. To understand the phenomenon of weathering through photographic process, a number of investigations took place in the production of this thesis. Starting with the first step of Negative Processing where the steps of developing the negative films are to be done in specific orders. Extra measures are taken outside of the procedure to imply ‘weathering’. The same was applied to the next step of the photographic process which is Darkroom Printing. Since weathering is also about the layering of substances, a few sets of investigations were studied through the works of Idris Khan and Lumiere. The constructed artefacts are then studied for its differences in weathering and how each of them confers value. Based on the series of investigations approached, it is acknowledged that throughout the processes, some of the

artefacts manifest defects due to certain circumstances in lacking of skills and experiences or perhaps just minor distinction in the development. The ‘defects’ differentiates photographs that were produced orderly and those that were not. Since photographic processing is an operation undergone in the duration of time, it is unlikely to get two same outcomes. Strangely enough, the ‘defects’ or ‘imperfections’ gives the photograph character and are distinguished as unusual or unique. Contemporary photographers, Nan Goldin and Todd Hido, both embraced the imperfections in photography. To them, photographs that are taken ‘as is’ are honest and true to its present moment. Wabi-sabi shares the same principles. The Japanese have attempted to use technology to control nature—whether rain, sun, earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, etc.—as best as they could. But they learned that they

cannot do much about it. The wisdom of wabi-sabi was constructed from the lessons learned through contact with nature, and they are: all things are impermanent, imperfect and incomplete. (Koren, 2008) Despite the resistance in taking an ‘ideal’ photograph of perfect composition, exposure, stability, etc., the end product of the ‘imperfect’ photograph fabricated, in some way prompts an emotional feeling towards the spectator. The ‘imperfection’ in the photograph serves as the ‘punctum’ – which attracts or distresses the spectator in their own accord. (Barthes, Howard and Dyer, 2010)

Weathering in Architecture & Photography This thesis research started off with the examination of buildings and their relationship with its environment and surroundings. The ageing of buildings was noticed through a long term process seen through the changes and deterioration of its surfaces, which is also known as— weathering (Mostafavi, 1993). Weathering is not only a natural process caused by weather, but also through pollution and human contact. The impact of weathering on different buildings differs. The distinct building materials confront weathering in varied manners. A concrete building in a modernist context has a lower tolerance on the deterioration caused by nature compared to Middle Age buildings made of stone. The appreciation regarding these buildings is inequivalent. Hence, is there value in weathering? Looking at weathering in general, it is also seen in other areas besides buildings. This includes guitar relicing,

antiquing furniture, distressed fashion and photography. To investigate the phenomenon of weathering, a shorter frame of the process is needed. Out of the few, photography is the most accessible medium for this research. Plus, it has a fortunate connection to architecture. As a matter of fact, the first ever photograph taken was of a building. French inventor Nicéphore Niépce was known as the creator of photography and the heliography technique—which is the technique used to produce the oldest photograph (Niépce, 1826, Figure 1.0) existed on a pewter plate, lightly coated with naturally occurring asphalt (Baatz, 1997).

Figure 2.0 Dalston Junction Rail Station, London (Author, 2020).

Figure 2.1 View from the Window at Le Gras, Saint-Loup-deVarennes, France (Niépce, 1826).

Analogue Photography

Photography is an innovation of art and technology coexisting together. Although it started with recordings of landscapes and architecture through painting (Editor, 2019, Figure 3.1)—using the Camera Obscura as a tool; Nicéphore Niépce managed to create a form of physical documentation of a view seen through the naked eye onto an object—in this case a metal sheet. Since his creation in 1826, the photographic processes have evolved and many methods in producing analogue photographs were used. In 1835, gelatine emulsion spread on paper was invented by Henry Fox Talbot and by 1839, ‘Photography’ has become a word widely used in the industry where metal plate process of Daguerreotype became popular. Lenses and camera were created in 1841; individual sheets and rolls of film in 1887. In 1913, the 35mm film rolls were manufactured and became a hit by 1925 (Editor, 2019).

Through the analogue processes of photography, the transferring of an image shows a time period of a photograph being produced that may be comparable to the process of the construction of a building. After production, a photograph and building ages and deteriorates. Similar to buildings, a physical photograph from the past shows qualities of being weathered through time and shows varied kinds of weathering under certain circumstances. A series of investigations on the photographic processing of analogue are to be carried out to examine the value of weathering. 35mm film rolls are suitable to be practised in these investigations as they are still used today.

Figure 3.0 One end of the film, London (Author, 2020).

Daguerreotype

Camera & Lenses

Celluloid Roll Film Camera Obscura

Developing a Film Photojournalism

Early Optics

500 BCE

1400s

1600 1604

1700s

1827

1835

1839

1841

1848

metal plate process

Trace painting (drawing with light)

published in newspaper & magazines

Fox Talbot - gelatine emulsion spread on paper

Figure 3.1 History of Photography Timeline From Start to Present Day (Photography Talk, 2019).

1865

(

First Photograph ever created by Nicéphore Niépce - sheet of metal coated with chemical

)

(

‘View from the Window at Le Gras’ shows parts of the buildings and surrounding countryside of Le Gras, as seen from a high window

)

1878

1887

individual sheets & rolls of film

focus study

KODAK

(

35mm Film

) Digital Camera

Moving Pictures

1888

1900

1913

Project on screen

1925

1959

1975

Present

Smartphone

different formats of films (rolls & sheets)

Photographic Process Negative Process

Investigation - no.1

The first step in analogue photograph processing is the development of the film rolls. A series of images were captured and tampered with in the developing process of the negatives outside of the normal procedure to imply ‘weathering’. Steps in developing film negatives in a developing tank (Ilford, 2018b): 1. Remove end cap from film cassette and slide the film spool part way out 2. Load the film strip onto the spiral 3. Place spiral into developing tank 4. Put lid on the tank 5. Pour in developer* 6. Agitate for 10 seconds, repeat process every minute, pour out developer before 15 seconds time is due 7. Pour in stop bath* 8. Agitate between 10-30 seconds and pour out 9. Pour in fixer* 10. Agitate for 10 seconds 11. Repeat every minute between 2-5 minutes

12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21.

Wash film to remove chemical residue Fill tank with clean water at 20°C Invert tank 5x and empty Refill and invert tank 10x Repeat and invert tank 20x Fill water again and add a drop of wetting agent*, invert tank 5x and empty Pull end of film out of spiral and attach clip to hang Remove any excess water with squeegee Add a weighted clip at bottom end of film Leave it dry somewhere clean and dust-free

* Refer Figure 4.7 (Ilford, 2018) Apparatus: Kentmere 400 Black & White Film, Olympus XA Camera, Ilford Multigrade IV RC Glossy Photographic Paper (4”x6”)

Water on negatives will not be removed

Figure 4.0 & 4.1 Christmas Tree, Hyde Park, London (Author, 2019).

Figure 4.2 Negatives of Christmas Tree, Hyde Park, London (Author, 2019).

Figure 4.3 & 4.4 Christmas Tree, Hyde Park, London (Author, 2019).

For this research, I developed the negatives first-hand to understand the procedure. At this time, I did not have the proper equipment of developing tank; hence I had to perform the procedure in trays:

A set of six photographs of the same shot were taken to detect the changes that manifests on each negative frame. These sets of negatives (Author, 2019, Figure 4.2) were developed in the order as stated until its end process of removing the film out of the tank spiral. The negatives are left to dry vertically in a strip without wiping or removing excess water. The weathering of the processed negative is implied through the drying of the dripping water on the film. As seen in Figure 4.0, 4.1, 4.3, 4.4, & 4.6, the water marks are stained differently on each processed image (Author, 2019). All of the six negatives undertook the same procedure except one was wiped with a cloth afterwards (Author, 2019, Figure 4.5).

1. Measure solutions and pour developer*, stop bath*, fixer*, wetting agent* into 4 different trays 2. Remove end cap from film cassette and slide the film spool part way out 3. Cut the end of the film 4. Using safety gloves, start unrolling the film strip in the develop tray and rolling it back at the other end, repeat slowly for 6 minutes 5. Transfer roll into stop bath tray and repeat process for 10-30 seconds 6. Transfer roll into fixer tray and repeat process for 2-5 minutes 7. Transfer roll into wetting agent tray and repeat process for 6 minutes 8. Leave the film strip to hang without wiping of the excess water

Since these negatives were developed in trays instead of a developing tank where the film strip is placed in a spiral, the film roll were much in contact with my hands and the trays. When placed in a spiral of a developing tank, the film roll is protected

Solution

* Refer Figure 4.7 (Ilford, 2018)

from any other contact and the distribution of chemicals is even. Therefore, the negative may show â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;weatheringâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of scratched marks that were probably caused by by the process of rolling and unrolling of the film (step no.4) in the tray.

Figure 4.5 & 4.6 Christmas Tree, Hyde Park, London (Author, 2019).

Figure 4.7 Chemicals used to process black & white film (Ilford, 2018).

Solution mix (solution + water)

Use

Developer

1+9

Makes image appear on the film

Stop

1 + 19

Brings develop to an end

Fix

1+4

Makes the developed image permanent

1 + 200

Helps the film dry quickly and evenly

Wetting agent

Investigation - no.2 The first investigation was tempered outside of the developing process of the film; this next set of investigation has directly reconstructed the solution mix of the chemicals. A different type of film roll was used for the supervision of the course of action. An orthochromatic film is used as it is not sensitive to light beyond the yellow spectrum, such as reds and oranges. (Carmencita, 2019) Thus, the procedure can be done under the red safe light: 1. Measure the different developer mix* accordingly at 40Â°C into 3 different cups 2. Measure stop bath at 1+19, fixer at 1+4, wetting agent at 1+200 into 3 different trays 3. Remove end cap from film cassette and slide the film spool part way out 4. Cut the film into individual frames 5. Using safety gloves, soak each individual film into different developer mix and agitate at different times*

6. Transfer film into stop bath tray soak and agitate for 10-30 seconds 7. Transfer film into fixer tray and repeat process for 2-5 minutes 8. Transfer film into wetting agent tray and repeat process for 6 minutes 9. Wipe off the excess water on the film with squeegee 10. Hang each film on clips to dry Figure 5.0 Negatives of Mills Court, Hackney, London (Author, 2019).

Top Left to Bottom Right: IOP-22, IOP-23, IOP-24, IOP-25, IOP-26, IOP-27 Figure 5.1 Manipulated Variables in Developing Process (Author, 2020). Solution

Manipulated Variables

Temperature of solution (Â°C)

Developer mix

1+5

1+9

1+13

IOP-22 (30 s)

IOP-23 (30 s)

IOP-25 (1 min)

IOP-26 (1 min)

Negative Film (Time soaked in developer mix) * Refer Figure 5.1 (Author, 2020). Apparatus: Ilford Ortho Plus 80 Black & White Film, Olympus XA Camera

IOP-24 (30 s) IOP-27 (1 min)

The negatives develop faster in higher temperature. The film also appears darker. Instead of taking 6 minutes to develop in 20Â°C, it only took 30 seconds to 1 minute for the negatives to develop in 40Â°C. Besides the time, the negatives also appear darker, making it difficult to see the changes of each film. However, it is possible to examine the negatives under a light box*.

* Light box available in the case

Figure 5.2 (Left) Darkroom set up with red safelight (Author, 2020).

Figure 5.3 (Right) Developing Process of Ortho Film (Author, 2020).

Investigation - no.3

Darkroom Printing Process The next step in photographic processing after developing the negatives is darkroom printing. Here, the negatives are placed in an enlarger and light is exposed on it and projected on to photographic paper with a light-sensitive emulsion (Sowerby, 1961). Steps in developing prints (Ilford, 2018a): 1. Place negative strip in the opposite direction in the negative carrier 2. Use puffer brush to remove dust 3. With enlarger at maximum aperture, use a focus finder for optimal sharpness 4. Set aperture at f-stop f8 5. Use contrast filter 6. Expose the shiny side of photographic paper in 5-20 seconds depending on the chosen exposure 7. Place the photographic paper into the developer tray for 60 seconds 8. Transfer the photographic paper into the stop bath for 10 seconds

9. Transfer the photographic paper into the fixer for 30 seconds 10. Rinse the print under running water

Figure 6.0 Fairchild’s Garden, London - T001 (Author, 2019).

Figure 6.1 (Top) Darkroom printing process, London (Author, 2019)

Figure 6.2 (Bottom) Notes on darkroom printing outcome - T001 (Author, 2019)

Date of investigation: 16th December 2019 Fixed Variable: Focal Length - 5.6 Exposure - 3.5 seconds Apparatus: Kentmere 400 Black & White Film, Olympus XA Camera, Ilford Multigrade IV RC Glossy Photographic Paper (4”x6”)

T001

Developer

Stop

Fixer

Water

Earlier Notes

Later Notes

✓

Processed following the whole procedure, finished photograph came out nicely

Still the same

Here, the prints undergo varied steps in the procedure to study the different kinds of weathering that happens when the chemicals are used differently. The chemical solutions and water are mostly tempered with (steps no.7 – no.10). The darkroom prints were scanned and reprinted digitally to document the original outcome of the investigation, which was carried out on 16th December 2019. Below each digital print, the original darkroom prints are placed to show how in the span of 2.5 months, the photograph has ‘further weathered’.

T002a

Figure 6.3 (Top) Fairchild’s Garden, London - T002a (Earlier) (Author, 2019).

Figure 6.4 (Bottom) Fairchild’s Garden, London - T002a (Current) (Author, 2019).

Figure 6.5 Notes on darkroom printing outcome - T002a (Author, 2019).

Developer

Stop

Fixer

Water

Earlier Notes

Current Notes

✓

Outcome similar as T001

Now showing pinkish tone with greyish vignetting

T002b

Developer

Stop

✓

Figure 6.6 (Top) Fairchild’s Garden, London - T002b (Earlier) (Author, 2019).

Figure 6.7 (Bottom) Fairchild’s Garden, London - T002b (Current) (Author, 2019).

Figure 6.8 Notes on darkroom printing outcome - T002b (Author, 2019).

Fixer

Water

Earlier Notes

Current Notes

✓

Placed in water 5 mins after stop bath while exposed to light, yellowish tone

Now showing pinkish tone, while greyish vignetting

Developer T003a

✓

Stop x

Figure 6.9 (Top) Fairchild’s Garden, London - T003a (Earlier) (Author, 2019).

Figure 6.10 (Bottom) Fairchild’s Garden, London - T003a (Current) (Author, 2019).

Figure 6.11 Notes on darkroom printing outcome - T003a (Author, 2019).

Fixer

Water

Earlier Notes

Current Notes

✓

Placed in water right after developing, slightly pinkish but not getting darker

Pinkish tone has darken

Developer T003b

✓

Stop x

Figure 6.12 (Top) Fairchild’s Garden, London - T003b (Earlier) (Author, 2019).

Figure 6.13 (Bottom) Fairchild’s Garden, London - T003b (Current) (Author, 2019).

Figure 6.14 Notes on darkroom printing outcome - T003b (Author, 2019).

Fixer

Water

Earlier Notes

Current Notes

✓

Placed in water 5 mins after developing, slightly pinkish but not getting darker

Pinkish tone has darken

T003c

Figure 6.15 (Top) Fairchild’s Garden, London - T003b (Earlier) (Author, 2019).

Figure 6.16 (Bottom) Fairchild’s Garden, London - T003b (Current) (Author, 2019).

Figure 6.17 Notes on darkroom printing outcome - T003b (Author, 2019).

Developer

Stop

Fixer

Water

Earlier Notes

Current Notes

✓

Placed in water 5 mins after developing while exposed to light, keeps on developing and getting darker until 2 mins when exposed to light

Still the same

T004

Figure 6.18 (Top) Fairchild’s Garden, London - T004 (Earlier) (Author, 2019).

Figure 6.19 (Bottom) Fairchild’s Garden, London - T004 (Current) (Author, 2019).

Figure 6.20 Notes on darkroom printing outcome - T004 (Author, 2019).

Developer

Stop

Fixer

Water

Earlier Notes

Current Notes

✓

Not rinsed in water, left to dry vertically, Similar as T001

Now showing yellowish tone and visible water marks

T005

Figure 6.21 (Top) Fairchild’s Garden, London - T005 (Earlier) (Author, 2019).

Figure 6.22 (Bottom) Fairchild’s Garden, London - T005 (Current) (Author, 2019).

Figure 6.23 Notes on darkroom printing outcome - T005 (Author, 2019).

Developer

Stop

Fixer

Water

Earlier Notes

Current Notes

✓

Showing yellow tone after stop bath, showing reddish tone over time

Reddish tone has faded to grey

T006

Figure 6.24 (Top) Fairchild’s Garden, London - T006 (Earlier) (Author, 2019).

Figure 6.25 (Bottom) Fairchild’s Garden, London - T006 (Current) (Author, 2019).

Figure 6.26 Notes on darkroom printing outcome - T006 (Author, 2019)

Developer

Stop

Fixer

Water

Earlier Notes

Current Notes

✓

Left to dry right after developing while exposed to light; Keeps on developing and getting darker

The sticky surface picked up traces of fingerprints and other objects

Figure 6.27 Fairchildâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Garden, London - T007 (Author, 2019).

Layering Investigation - no.4 Aside from decaying and deterioration, weathering can be seen as the layering of substances on object. Idris Khan’s work on the content of Camera Lucida is not just addressing photography but how an image can be analytical and personal (Khan, 2004, Figure 7.1). The whole work can be seen at once as a composite image but if look closely, the stacking of words can be deciphered (Staff, 2006). The texts that appear visible are dependent on the individual observer. Khan’s photograph exhibits the enduring and perishing moments from the first words to the last of Camera Lucida (Barthes, Howard and Dyer, 2010).

Apparatus: Kentmere 400 Black & White Film, Olympus XA Camera, Acetate Sheet

Figure 7.0 Portrait of Dahlia on Acetate (Author, 2020).

Figure 7.1 “Every Page . . . from Roland Barthes’s Camera Lucida,” (Khan, 2004).

Louis Lumière created an imaging technology in1920 that demonstrates the three dimensional form of an image, rendering a photograph as an object. This technology is called photostéréosynthèse, where photographs of different focal length are printed on translucent glass and stacked together (Hertz, 2009, Figure 7.2 & Figure 7.3). Lumière’s technique also films the impersistent image in time—the registration of time in the shifted image. Investigation – no.4 references Khan’s and Lumière’s technique of layering as a means of constructing the weathered object. Figure 7.0 (Author, 2020) shows a portrait of a person taken five times from a single view with much effort made to align. The slight misregistration of the images depicts the difference in time of each photograph taken. Figure 7.2 (Author, 2020) presents the different states of images (Figure 5.0) through the manipulation of developer mix solution and timeplus the misregistration

Apparatus: Ilford Ortho Plus 80 Black & White Film, Olympus XA Camera, Acetate Sheet

of the five shots. The different tones of the images exhibits a denser form of assemble.

Figure 7.2 (Left) Portraits of Auguste Lumière (Hertz, 2009).

Figure 7.3 (Right) Diagram of Orthographic View of Photostereosynthesis Layers, using Portraits of Auguste Lumière, Stages in ‘Photostéréosynthèse’ (Hertz, 2009).

Duality in Photography

Photography has long been associated with its forensic approach in documentation. Since its existence, the moments of buildings in time have been recorded through photography, allowing us to look back in time to study their growth or changes. For Barthes (2010), the photograph is the frozen past state of reality. It is not just a documentation of what does not exist anymore, but a documentation of “what has been”. However, when looking at a photograph, are we looking at the photograph taken or the photograph as an object? Is the documented photograph showing its true form captured in that moment or has it changed in time? The analogue process of a 35mm film roll transfers the photograph on to substances. Geoff Dyer (2013) mentioned in ‘Understanding a Photograph’ that the principal material of photography is light and time. Firstly, light is exposed on to the film where the

silver nitrate records the image taken on the film itself but in a negative state. When constructing a darkroom print, an enlarger is used to exposed light on to the negatives to produce a positive image on another substance—whether a glass sheet, metal sheet or paper with a chemical spread that reacts to light. A photograph is never just a photograph, it is always a photograph of . . . The deictic quality of a photograph shows that a photograph itself is always carried with its referent. (Barthes, Howard and Dyer, 2010) Thus, the weathering of a photograph as an artefact itself changes this deictic status. The more a photograph is weathered, the more it becomes something which is not photograph of due to the contingency of a photograph on its subject.

image that we see as it were and ‘punctum’ is that accident which pricks the spectator. This clearly shows the division between the objective information and the subjective impression.

Apart from the deictic quality of a photograph, Barthes (2010) studied photography in duality as a spectator. The dual plane that is present when looking at a photograph, where ‘studium’ refers to the

Figure 8.0 Night Mail, London (Author, 2020).

Figure 8.0 Deictic quality of an image (Author, 2020).

Digital Simulacrum of Ageing & Fake Weathering Digital photography has come a long way since the Camera Obscura of trace painting, metal plate exposures and darkroom printing. With all the advanced technology and features available on digital cameras, digital photography becomes the most common and easiest form of photography to capture an ‘ideal’ well-composed photograph. Some of the features are: Pixel shift multi shooting Focus tracking Intelligent exposure compensation Sharper lenses Stabilisation Automatic point selection Automatic white balance Imaging sensor

Apparatus: Kentmere 400 Black & White Film, Olympus XA Camera, iPhone 6s+, VSCO mobile application

Investigation - no.5 Editing photographs have also become a norm today with editing softwares such as Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom to enhance or fix images. Though even before digital software were available, photograph editing had existed since analogue processing in Darkroom Printing. Textures of paper finishes were considered deliberately, toners were added to adjust coolness or warmth of the image, dodging and burning techniques were also used to enhance chosen parts of the photograph. (Davey, 2008)

Figure 9.0 Darkroom Print of Fairchild’s Garden, London (Author, 2020).

Figure 9.1 VSCO - creative channel with advanced photo and video editing tools (Author, 2020).

The digital era of photography has upgraded the analogue editing processes by providing all the advanced technology on digital cameras and expensive lenses to enhance the quality of the photograph. Yet, despite all the technological advancements, the image taken is eventually put under editing softwares and applications to get the ‘analogue effect’ touch. The time taken to digitally-alter photographed images to imitate the analogue authenticity shows that there is appreciation to the value system. In this era of smartphones, photo editing applications has stepped up to the easiest editing structure of multiple filters. Even genuine analogue effects that are similar to selected brands of film rolls—such as Ilford and Kodak—are available for users (Author, 2020, Figure 9.1). The digital simulacrum of ageing is portrayed through applying ready-made filters that have the qualities of analogue photography. This shows that the

digital photograph as an object can gain greater autonomy by virtual imperfections to a certain extent. Furthermore, seeing how a subscription fee is needed to use the analogue effects signifies that the idea of weathered photographs is highly favourable and consists of authentic value. Figure 9.0 & 9.2 (Author, 2020) shows two prints of the same photograph in digital and analogue form. The deictic quality of an analogue photograph where the photograph eventually becomes an object of its own no longer carries the accurate information intended by the original photograph. This deictic condition is not relevant in digital photographs as the photograph is captured and archived in a window screen, it can be reprinted; whereas the analogue photograph carries the image data through a substances that weathers in time.

Figure 9.2 Digital Print of Fairchild’s Garden, London (Author, 2020).

Investigation - no.6 When the analogue image is scanned digitally and compared with a digital image on screen, it may be hard to distinguish one from another. Investigation – no.3 shows the difference of digital prints of scanned weathered analogue photographs and the actual analogue photographs that has ‘further weathered’. To achieve the ‘further weathered’ look, photographs can be edited digitally again, but it can never produce the weathering nor predict the weathering that is yet to happen. Figure 9.3 (Author, 2020) shows intended layering and weathering through digital edits, while Figure 9.4 – 9.7 (Author, 2020) signify the attempt of creating a genuine analogue photograph with the help of digital fake weathering. The surface of the physical of an analogue photograph carries its authentic value. With the advanced technologies existed, the digital can be edited to achieve the ‘fake weathering’ of an analogue photograph, but its value is only

Apparatus: Kentmere 400 Black & White Film, Olympus XA Camera, Photoshop CS6, Acetate Sheet & Ilford Multigrade IV RC De Luxe Photographic Paper

achievable as far as the window screen.

Figure 9.3 Layered Portraits of Dahlia edited in Photoshop (Author, 2020).

Figure 9.4 (p.54) Contact Sheet of Layered Portraits of Dahlia (Author, 2020).

Figure 9.5 (p.55) Darkroom Print of Layered Portraits of Dahlia (Author, 2020).

Figure 9.6 (p.56) Contact Sheet of Layered Portraits of Dahlia (High Contrast) (Author, 2020).

Figure 9.7 (p.57) Darkroom Print of Layered Portraits of Dahlia (High Contrast) (Author, 2020).

Imperfection Investigation - no.7 In Davey’s Photographs & Essays (2008), she documented notes from several writers on “Photography & Accident”: 1931 - Walter Benjamin: “The viewer [of the photograph] feels an irresistible compulsion to seek the tiny spark of accident, the here and now.” 1970s - Susan Sontag: “Most photographers have always had an almost superstitious confidence in the lucky accident.” 1970s - Janet Malcolm: “[A]ll the canonical works of photography retain some trace of the medium’s underlying, life-giving, accident-proneness.” 1980 - Roland Barthes and his notion of the punctum: that “cast of the dice . . . that accident which pricks”

Apparatus: Kentmere 400 Black & White Film, Olympus XA Camera, Ilford Multigrade IV RC De Luxe Photographic Paper

Investigation - no.7 shows the accidents that happened in photographic processing. The initial intention was to produce a contact sheet of selected negatives for documentation (Author, 2020, Figure 10.0). However, the first attempt reveals the layering of the film strips that was possibly caused by slight exposure to light while re-arranging the film strips on to the photographic paper (Author, 2020, Figure 10.1). Figure 10.9 shows an attempt to re-create the accidental weathering but instead produces an accident of its own, which possibly caused by the carelessness in leaving the photographic paper that was supposed to be tightly sealed exposed through the opening of the light safe bag (Author, 2020). Figure 10.10 is a second attempt to re-create the photograph of Figure 10.1 but the unpredictable fabrication of Figure 10.1 cannot be replicated (Author, 2020).

Figure 10.0 Initial Objective of Contact Sheet Documentation - N001 (Author, 2020).

A photograph would be described as badly taken if it was photographed without proper focus, does not follow basic rules of composition, contained motion blur or if it was taken with a slower shutter speed. Yet, these are all shown in Nan Goldin’s intimate photographs (Goldin, 1982, Figure 10.2) (Goldin, 1981, Figure 10.3) (Goldin, 1984, Figure 10.4). But looking at the whole composition of her works, these faults may not matter as it actually added a certain characteristic to the image and is suitable for what she is trying to portray (Windsor, 2019). “The camera was like an extension of my hand, and I just shot all day, I never moved anything. For me, it was a sin to move a beer bottle out of the way because it had to be exactly what it was.” – Nan Goldin, The Ballad of Sexual Dependency (Reeves, 2013)

Figure 10.1 First Attempt Produces Accidental Weathering N002 (Author, 2020).

Figure 10.2 (Top) Greer and Robert on the bed, New York City (Goldin, 1982).

Figure 10.3 (Middle) Suzanne with Mona Lisa, Mexico City (Goldin, 1981).

Figure 10.4 (Bottom) Dieter and Wolfgang at the O-Bar, West Berlin (Goldin, 1984).

Todd Hido is a contemporary photographer who takes photographs of landscapes through the misty windows of his car during winter (Hido, 2004a, Figure 10.6) (Hido, 2004b, Figure 10.7) (Hido, 2010, Figure 10.8). The condensation blurs the bleak and wind swept landscape outside creating a ‘painted’ image representing a J.M.W Turner painting. The uncertainness of the rain drops on Hido’s car window is inimitable if to be re-captured or edited. His photographs give a sense of familiarity not with location necessarily, but with a feeling or mood where the emphasis has moved from what a place looks like to how a situation feels (Windsor, 2019). A crisp and well-lit capture of well-balanced composition may have delivered an ideally clearer view of a literal representation of a scene but they would have lost its spontaneity in its own composition that already is and its emotional resonance. The viewer would have felt detached through

the unblemished tactical flawlessness of the photograph. The unpolished intimacy to these shots may just be the ‘accident’ that writers, Benjamin, Sontag, Malcolm and Barthes mean by what gives the photograph value. The imperfections that made the photograph become the ‘punctum’ that triggered the spectator’s feelings and brought them into the subject’s world.

Figure 10.5 Misty Train Window (Author, 2020).

Figure 10.6 (Top) 2431, Roaming (Hido, 2004a).

Figure 10.7 (Middle) 3188, Roaming (Hido, 2004b).

Figure 10.8 (Bottom) 6237, A Road Divided (Hido, 2010).

Wabi-sabi is a philosophy originated in ancient Japanâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;centred on the acceptance of transience and the purity of imperfection. The Japanese have attempted to use technology to control natural occurrences of rain, sun, earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, etc. However, they learned that nature cannot be fought by force. The wisdom of wabi-sabi was constructed from the lessons learned through contact with nature. It seeks to find authenticity by acknowledging 3 simple truths (Koren, 2008):

strive to achieve impossible perfectionism (Dayman, 2018a). The Western correlates the spectacular and monumental as attractiveness while Wabi-Sabi depicts the contrary. Nan Goldin and Todd Hido understand the moral precepts of wabisabiâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;where it is fundamental to appreciate the power of choice-making. One should know the extent of choosing and when to just let things be. When freedom is taken advantage of, the natural is forced and loses its quintessence (Koren, 2008).

1. Nothing is permanent 2. Nothing is finished 3. Nothing is perfect The world has evolved to an era of technology and all things fast and available. Whatever the user requests, the industry can provideâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; anything can be replicated to the highest standard. The dissatisfaction on lack of possessions leads human to

Figure 10.9 Attempt to re-create accidental weathering of N002 ut unexpectedly reveals a different form of weathering - N003 (Author, 2020).

The perfect and clean is beautiful, but it can be done through proper procedure. The irregular weathering is created by nature’s own weather pattern. The natural process is one of the material qualities of wabi-sabi— it demonstrates the moment frozen in time as it records the cracking, tarnishing, shrivelling and discolouration of materials. The art of ‘kintsugi’ presents the beauty in the damage, where gold dusted lacquer fills a cracked pottery—showing that there is nothing wrong with the imperfect, in fact it gives more value (Dayman, 2018a).

The poem describes the fragility of the mortal life—nothing is permanent, finished or perfect. The lush summer tree eventually withers in winter. Even a building is temporal as it disintegrates into ruins, covered with weeds and moss (Koren, 2008). The permanent, finished and perfect does not exist—which makes the impermanent, unfinished and imperfect more valuable.

Fujiwara no Teika illustrates the essence of wabi-sabi in a beautiful poem: All around, no flowers in bloom Nor maple leaves in glare, A solitary fisherman’s hut alone On the twilight shore Of this autumn eve.

Figure 10.10 Attempt to re-create N002 again by preparing the steps carefully - N003 (Author, 2020).

Conclusion

Imperfection – how does one decide something is imperfect or perfect? Is it in the way of the preparation in composing? The artefacts presented that each investigation gives a different outcome; there is not a copy that can be replicated, at least easily. Processing photographs has such complex steps and procedures. You also need other competencies such as patience and meticulousness in handling the chemicals and equipment. Everyone has different levels of skills and experiences. The outcome is always different for everyone – making the photograph one of a kind. Through this research, the investigations show that the constructed object attains value through the defects in the process. Based on Barthes’ writing, there is always a condition of doubling. There is a surface where the photograph is placed on and the condition of the surface is to not be underestimated as a site of value in itself. Is the status of a photograph a window

through which we see a ‘real’ condition as with forensic or scientific photography or is it a device to construct meaning or value? If it were a device to construct value, the medium and process plays a part in the authenticity of the operation. The photograph, when imprinted on something—whether a paper, metal sheet, wood or etc.—, is no longer just a photograph on its own as it has become an object. Weathering has a deictic quality as well. It is not formed on its own. It is formed in contact with other things around it or on it – it relates to a context. A physical photograph, when weathered, affects itself as an object and not the photograph taken. The more the photograph weathers, the more the attention shifts to the object and perhaps less to the subject taken. Consequently, the surface of the image itself achieves value. By reframing the idea of the ‘punctum’ in

Barthes’ writing, where it was described as something that is seen in a photograph that catches the eye of the beholder (Barthes, Howard and Dyer, 2010); the emotional impact that we feel when we look at a weathered photograph or object shows that we are drawn to its imperfections. These imperfections are then taken as a model to create an intended ideal ‘imperfect’ photograph. However, intentional ‘imperfect’ photographs take just as much time or more as analogue photographs to get the desired aesthetic. Today, this authenticity is easily emulated through digitallyproduced alterations of a finished image. The fact that people actually take their time to spend on digital software(s) to get a certain ‘vintage’ look to their photograph just shows that there is appreciation to the value system. Since it naturally conveys that the analogue photography contains value, people want to appear genuine by

imitating authenticity. While you can fake authenticity, the act of faking requires knowledge and skills the same to produce the desired aesthetic. The act of faking is an analogue act. To certain guitarists, the notion of relicing is a personal expression applied on to their instrument to mark it as ‘theirs’. The craft in fake-creating that ‘weathered’ look is embedded with time and energy too. And people are consenting to these measures to achieve that. Having said that, even though the digital can replicate analogue imperfection—the digital print process is certainly not able to replicate the surface of a glycerine or silver nitrate print. The physical nature of the photograph as an object is also a cited value. To put it simply, when looking at a scanned analogue photograph on screen side by side with an edited digital image, it is possible to have difficulty in differentiating which is authentic. But if a genuine 100 year old silver nitrate print is compared

with a digital print, the physicality will tell the two apart. This signifies that the authentic weathering in silver nitrate that has happened through time is something which definitely confers value.

definitely possesses value.

What lacks in digital images is the genuine tactility of a photograph. There is not a way to fake a surface digitally. The digital can only give the appearance of authenticity through a window—from behind a screen. The digital has a complication in the deictic condition where it only achieves its full value through the window of a screen. Whereas the photograph—with its ageing; achieves a certain autonomy that the surface of the image itself, the material of the image, the photograph as a material fact achieves value. Considering all the evidence stated, ‘weathering’ may not be a bad term after all. Weathering is a natural process that expresses authenticity. And authenticity

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Appendices Weathering in Architecture

Mostafavi (1993) and Hill (2012) both similarly discuss the importance of weather as an architectural author in the design and construction process as it is something that cannot be overlooked. It exists together with the creation of an object or building. Weathering is described as something that adds on to the surface of a building or it deteriorates it. Either way, the outcome of it is not always appreciated by architects or users alike. The weathering of an object or a building is revealing its age and its ageing process. The building is even weathering while it is in its construction stage. Designing with an image of the outcome in mind is designing something that would not be. A building wears and ages through time and by nature. Its surfaces often show visible changes of substances attached to it or of decaying material. Seeing that, the damage done by nature gradually reduces a buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s value. Weather has always been

considered in the design and construction process of a building. Though it may not be the greatest importance in consideration, it is still in discussion whether inclusively or in isolation. Weather being ever-changing and the reason that a buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appearanceor maybe even function-changes, it may be one of the reasons of certain cultures to adapt a belief on buildings to have a limited lifespan. Buildings in Japan have a lifespan of 20-30 years for the reason that it is believed their spiritual bonds between the gods and the people needed to refresh (The Economist, 2018). Besides cultural belief, buildings today do not stand longer than Cathedrals built centuries ago. The craftsmanship and construction takes around 100 years, but the material used â&#x20AC;&#x201C; stone, weathers differently than concrete buildings. Since the early twentieth-century, modernism has shifted cultural trends and changes. Functionalism became the primary concern. A house

was not visualised as body anymore, but a machine. Mass production of building parts were considered as advanced as accidental encounters were controlled (Mostafavi, 1993). Ironically, we were designing backwards as more maintenance is needed. And the maintenance of a building is us denying its ageing process.

Based on (Oxford University Press (OUP), 2019), Weathering:

The process of wearing or being worn by long exposure to the atmosphere Value:

The regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something

Romanticism & Picturesque

Enlightenment was when the influence of weather and climate were recognised. Rather than traditions, the empiricism focuses on experiential evidence in the formation of ideas. The varied qualities of a person, a time and a place where appreciated through the existence of weather. The Renaissance developed imagination through geometry, absolute forms and proportion. In the eighteenth century, ideas were recognised as provisional and possible to be changed, depending on experience at conception, production and reception. This was based on the changeable weather, the effects of nature on people and vice versa (Hill, 2012). By comparison in the tradition of the Picturesque beauty is to be understood as subjective; perception as variable; and creativity as aleatory. Hill’s principal aim is to show how these motifs − together with Romanticism’s attachment to the senses,

time, decay and the imagination − are critical if we are to reach a more holistic understanding of architecture, ecology, politics and the self. Architecture has to be considered ‘an incident in an environment with which it converse(s)’, writes Hill (Deane, 2013).

Picturesque

1782

Romanticism

1800

Observations on the River Wye, and Several Parts of South Wales, etc. Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty; made in the Summer of the Year 1770 (book by William Gilpin)

Modernism

1850

1890

1915

1930

“Le Corbusier proposed a universal ‘neutralising wall’ to isolate inside from outside and gurantee a stable internal temperature”

Fake Weathering

Weathering is a term widely used in the architecture context. Different terms are used in different frame of references, such as:

Building Guitar Furniture Book Clothing Photograph

Weathering Relicing Antiquing

- Make (something) resemble an antique by artificial means.

Shabby Chic Foxing Distressing Stone Wash Ageing

- An object surviving from an earlier time, especially one of historical interest.

- Discoloration of the paper of old books or prints with brown spots. - Give (furniture or clothing) simulated marks of age and wear.

All these items share a common idea of valuing a certain weathered look. For decades, the concept of ageing and distressing instruments has existed. However, the idea of guitar relicing was in actual fact a coincidence. The hype was established when the Fender Custom Shop made ageing guitars a service for artists. The service was well accepted by guitarists and fans, resulting in a mainstream production line as the Relic Series in the Custom Shop catalogue (Anon, 2019). The trend of guitar relicing results in distressing furniture and clothing that was once a countercultural movement in the 70â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and is now simply a fashion statement (Neo Blue, 2018).