My work, Ode to Gowanus, addresses the water contamination caused by human activity, reflecting the tragic reality of the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, one of the most polluted waterways in the U.S. This series, exhibited at Foley Gallery in NYC, blends imagination with reality, using the alternative photographic process of mordançage. This French technique allows me to create textured, three-dimensional prints with toxic, colorful layers, echoing the disturbing consequences of human interference with nature.
I use nature itself as my darkroom, incorporating water from rivers, sunlight, and rain to redevelop the prints. In this series, I employed water from the Gowanus Canal, infusing an additional layer of toxicity. The process feels alchemical, as the chemicals on paper mimic industrial discharges, producing vivid streams of green, orange, and yellow, with bubbling and crackling sounds that enhance the impact of creation.
The titles of these images, like Lavender Lake and Black Mayonnaise, directly reference the Gowanus Canal’s polluted reality. The work is inspired by the environmental photography of Edward Burtynsky.
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