Studio art senior Miriam Buckner opened her photography exhibit in the University’s Art Building on Aug. 22. Buckner’s exhibit, entitled Somnium, is featured in Gallery 229 and includes a series of chemically degraded photographs in a monochromatic scheme.
The conceptual work featured in the exhibit was drawn from her childhood dreams about chemical plant leaks.
“I grew up nearby in Plaqumine, Louisiana,” Buckner said. “Where I grew up, there are a lot of chemical plants really close by … so I think that’s what caused me to have these nightmares.”
Throughout her childhood, Buckner found inspiration by looking at fashion photography and its conceptuality. Additionally, her mother was a children’s book illustrator, which peaked her interest in narratives.
Buckner said photography has allowed her to interpret narratives in her work more realistically.
These narratives can be seen throughout her exhibit. The pieces displayed in the exhibit depict people who are drained of color, places and objects distorted as though veils were draped over all the images. At first glance, the pictures may not even come across as photographs but, rather, as paintings.
The distorted look given to the photographs was an intentional decision made by Buckner. To achieve this specific look, she developed the pictures in certain chemicals.
“First, I took the photos digitally, and then I printed transparent negatives,” Buckner said. “And then it gets complicated.”
She used the negatives to print silver gelatin prints, giving her photographs a metallic tint. Buckner used a process called mordançage to finish off the photographs.
Mordançage gives silver gelatin prints a degraded look. Not only does this process chemically bleach the photograph, but it creates veil-like patterns by lifting the emulsion from the paper. The veils can then be brushed away.
Buckner’s chose not to brush away the emulsions, keeping the veil-like patterns in most of her photographs.
Out of all the photos in the exhibit, Buckner’s favorites are three which she says are almost like one piece — a street view. A figure in one of the shots has a shadow drifting onto the street of the next shot, which Buckner says is her favorite aspect.
Looking ahead, Buckner is scheduled to graduate from the College of Art & Design with a degree in studio art, focusing on photography, this December. After graduation, Buckner said she may look in to photojournalism, but her hope is to keep making fine art that compels her.
“I really wanted to create so that people could experience, too, those dreams,” Buckner said.