unexpected outcomes
‘W E H A V E AL L F OUND SOME THING BEAUTIFUL OR I N T R I GU I NG
BY CHANCE’ -anna gerber
you learn something new because you see something new ... and, by the way, i am not fixated on making something new. i just love the journey of learning and exploring. -april greiman
INTRODUCTION The unpredictability and unexpected outcomes offered when we work in such a way as to take ourselves out of a process can offer much more dynamic and interesting results than if we were to control that process. If we choose to use a film camera in a playful and experimental way rather than one frame per shoot we allow and embrace exploration of converging lines within images. We encounter an element of surprise, the unexpected. Unaware of what may happen and what result will come of it, this adventures approach allows you to capture photographs of what isn't actually there. This allows photographs to work much like our memory, melting and converging lines of images together allowing for a tangible image, a moving memory captured in one photograph. We can explore chance by being creative with the negative itself before development by investigating the chemical reactions that occur when the film reacts with heat and substances. Of course you choose the effect which is applied and the time it is left to effect the negative but inevitably you are out of the actual process. You cannot control how the chemical will react and effect the negative as each frame and each colour on the negative will react differently. You are unaware of what has happened to the film until it is developed.
ROASTING causes it to over expire
RED WINE causes psychodelic colour stains
‘No matter how hard we try to control the creative process, it is inevitable that we encounter an element of unpredictability – something unexpected.’ -anna gerber
BOIL
causes colour stains and it to over expireii
DISHWASHER causes film to melt and colour stains
THE UNEXPECTED Take yourself out of the process, stop thinking too much about what you are taking a picture of, just shoot the multiple exposures and endless panoramic, see what happens. Inevitably you do control the process to some extent but by not thinking too much about the composure of the image can open up what you can achieve, it explores possibilities of the unexpected and welcomes chance, mistakes and accidents. This can end up working to your advantage, answers and potential can be found in something you didn’t mean to create. Often something we initially see as a failure will offer us a surreal, interesting and alternative answer. By letting go and allowing an uncontrollable method of working it embraces the chance of failure and an unexpected outcome.
SODA causes pink burnt stains
BLEACH causes psychodelic bright colours
‘when something malfunctions, it doesn’t necessarily mean that something is working against it, but rather that something is working in tandem with it to maximize its working in tandem with it to maximize its unforeseen potential.’ -anna gerber
DETERGENT overexposed film causing strange images
LEMON overexposed film causing strange images
Error and its emotions. On the brink of error is a condition of fear. In the midst of error is a state of folly and defeat. Realizing you’ve made an error brings shame and remorse. Or does it?’ -anne carson
DETERGENT causes blue washed out images
LEMON causes bright colour stains
WASHING MACHINE causes green faded colouring
THE UNKNOWN Rather than seeking perfection and an ideal answer it allows chance and the possibilities of something unplanned to work to your advantage and offer a alternative answer. The unexpected can sometimes be the most interesting, embrace the unknown welcome misstakes. ‘failure can also be something positive’ -anna gerber