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Critical Commentary

Over the course of this year, I have produced a series of work which aims to visualise the microscopic values of soil. These images, produced using soil and sunlight to capture an image on photographic paper, venture into a realm of theoretical science, exploring the microcosm-macrocosm analogy, according to which there exists structural similarities between the macrocosm and the microcosm. Inspired by the cosmic nature of microscopic imagery, my work aims to demonstrate the application of the microcosm-macrocosm theory.

Throughout the last three years, I have noted how my photographic approach has slowly evolved into an exploration of alternative photographic methods in search of curating more conceptual narratives within my work. With this in mind, I commenced the degree module with the intention to adopt a more scientific approach within my work, whether that be in terms of photographic process or in an exploration of scientific concepts. Being initially interested in environmental effects of plastic, a topical subject in light of a recent rise in plastic pollution caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, my research led me to the subject of soil, in particular, the significance of microbial activity and its potential within art.  

Initially the images that I was producing were acting as a collaboration with these microbes, allowing the soil to leave a mark on an image. An experimentation of the burial of developed negatives within the soil was largely motivated by my interest in the work of Daro Montag and Stephen Gill. Admittedly the burial of my images was one part of the project that I found difficult. The process was long and I struggled with the lack of immediate results that it produced. In addition to this, being in the ground, I was unable to control the level of degeneration, a lack of control that I had not previously experienced within photography. This was something that I found to be particularly challenging. It was, however, following this that my method altered dramatically to disregard any direct involvement that I had within the photographic process entirely.

Viewing the mud paintings by Richard Long and realising how this artist was able to create work that allowed the subject to represent itself motivated me to experiment with a cameraless photographic method that would allow soil to physically capture an image. This meant that rather than marking an image that I had produced, the soil was actually creating the work, making it a straighter representation of the subject. It was also at this point within the project that I was struggling to determine the direction of my work, juggling with several different themes, my rationale was clouded and this made it difficult to accurately direct my project. By altering my process and producing lumen prints, I was once again presented with how soil is able to produce images that are visually cosmic. This motivated me to take the time to contemplate my project purpose and aided me to refocus my work, realising that I had a desire to create a body of work that would act as an investigation into the cosmic nature of images that capture microscopic life, again reinforcing the idea of naturally occurring images and supporting my decision to limit my involvement in the photographic process. This additionally satisfied my original intentions to incorporate scientific concepts within my work.

Through my research, I eventually managed to find a theory that related to the reflection of celestial imagery that has been noted within my research on microscopic subjects. Despite not being specifically about soil, the microcosm-macrocosm analogy provided me with a hypothetical explanation for why aesthetics in space may be reflected on Earth, suggesting that patterns are reproduced throughout all levels of reality. It was a new experience to create images based upon a theoretical concept, and originally, I perceived this project to be more of a constructed narrative, visualising something fictional, for instance in a similar way to how Mandy Barker presents found objects as imagined scientific specimens. Nevertheless, after researching Stuart Mccloksey’s Weakly Interacting Massive Particle series, I became aware of how my work could be viewed as more of an abstract interpretation using photography as a vessel to visualise intangible scientific theory. By combining these two elements, my work functions both within conceptual photography and theoretical science.

This more conceptual outcome is something that I feel confident in now, however, originally, I was quite disheartened by the fact that I would not be able to access the laboratories and microscopes due to Coronavirus. I had hoped for the opportunity to collaborate with the science department, nevertheless, this barrier challenged me creatively and aided me to experiment with ways that I could use photography to conjure up my own images to visualise the microcosm. I think if circumstances were different and we were presented with the opportunity to exhibit our work, I would have liked to print these images on a large scale. This would have best displayed the hidden details of the images, but more significantly would have aided to further fortify the macrocosm-microcosm analogy by mirroring the reflection of the great within the minute.

Overall, I feel accomplished with my project. On a reflection of the reviews that I have made for all prior modules, I feel that I have been successful in achieving all of my previous aims, namely, to experiment with alternative methods and to explore conceptual photography, in doing so, challenging my own artistic potential. As expected, I did find the degree project one of the most challenging modules to complete, I discovered, nevertheless, that I was able to follow my own instincts that I have developed over the past three years and, in a way, allow the project to naturally direct itself.

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Final Outcome

As Above, So, Below

‘Quod est superius est sicut quod inferius, et quod inferius est sicut quod est superius’ (That which is above is like to that which is below, and that which is below is like to that which is above.)

The microcosm-macrocosm analogy refers to the view according to which there is a structural similarity between the microcosm (the small universe) and the macrocosm (the great universe). The phrase quod est superius est sicut quod inferius, a verse taken from the medieval hermetic text upon which alchemists founded their art, is understood to reference the supposed effects of celestial mechanics upon terrestrial events, exploring the existence of patterns reproduced in all levels of reality. By using the photographic medium, As Above, So Below aims to visualise the theory that as above in space, aesthetically similar structures are intimated in the soil below. The images in this series, created using sunlight and soil, allude to this connection, in doing so, proposing a theoretical explanation for the cosmic nature of images that capture microscopic life.

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Space Lumens

Previously I had been thinking of my project as more of a constructed narrative, creating images to visualise something fictional. Much in the same way as Mandy Barker presents items of plastic as scientific specimens in Beyond Drifting, I was attempting to present soil as space. Nevertheless, after viewing Stuart Mccloksey’s series of work, Weakly Interacting Massive Particle, I have gained an alternative perspective that presents my images as something more investigative and experimental. 

Rather than constructed images, I now regard this work as more of an abstract interpretation of an intangible scientific hypothesis. These images have not been artificially constructed, but rather record the naturally occurring phenomenon which dictates the repetition of patterns across all levels of reality. This epitomises the concept of using photography as a vessel for the visualisation of scientific theory. I have used photography to articulate my observations regarding the microcosm-macrocosm analogy and soil. 

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Stuart Mccloksey

From Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (2020)

Weakly Interacting Massive Particle is a series of work by Stuart Mccloksey which explores the realm of theoretical science. The images in this series were produced in search of dark matter, a form of matter which is thought to account for around 85% of all matter in the universe. Dark matter earns its name from the fact that it is difficult to detect due to the fact that it does not interact with the electromagnetic field. Alternatively, the existence of this matter is implied in a rage of astrophysical observations, including gravitational effects that cannot be explained by accepted theories of gravity unless more matter is present than can be seen.

“Astronomers and Cosmologists largely agree about dark matters presence in our Universe and the invisible particles passing through our atmosphere at every moment; but how do we begin to evidence it? This endeavour requires researchers to be imaginative and creative, qualities not commonly associated with a science-based practice.”

Through a series of photographic experiments, Mccloksey searches for evidence of the elusive particles that form dark matter, intentionally alluding to the presence of something in between or beyond. Weakly Interacting Massive Particle, much in the same way as the work of Yas Crawford, uses photography as a vessel for the visualisation of scientific theory, with an experimental approach to image making that is comparative to the conduction of experiments within scientific processes. It is particularly encouraging to see another photographer working within the realm of theoretical science. 

(https://www.stuart-mccloskey.com/projects)

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Yaz Crawford

From The Universe and Chinese Herbs (2019)

Yas Crawford is a UK based photographer with a background in geology, microbiology and life sciences. Her series The Universe and Chinese Herbs is an exploration of the play of light through a solution of different Chinese herbs. The images, created using digital and analogue photography, depict circular shapes, most frequently suspended against a black background, making them visually similar to planets in space. This work focuses on search for longevity of life and managing chronic and undefined illnesses by exploring the ways in which humans adapt and interact with the environment. Crawford describes the repetitive nature of the images in The Universe and Chinese Herbs as a revelation of the constantly repeated events produced through scientific experimentation. Most interestingly perhaps, Crawford’s work aims to reflect the art in science. She describes herself to be working within ‘the grey space’ between these two disciplines:

‘Using art as vessel to transport the science exploring the ambiguity and the unknown, revealing the micro and the macro of those internal and external landscapes.’

This concept of communicating the ambiguous and the unknown presents photography as a medium through which to visualise concepts in science which are less tangible or difficult to conceive. This is relevant to my work as it epitomises the purpose of my images which aim to visualise the microcosm-macrocosm analogy in soil.

(https://www.yascrawford.com/art-science-collaborations)

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Space Lumens

Panspermia is the hypothesis that life exists throughout the Universe, distributed by space dust, meteoroids, and also by spacecraft carrying unintended contamination by microorganisms. Pseudo-panspermia argues that life originated in space, became incorporated in the solar nebula from which planets condensed, and were then further (and continuously) distributed to planetary surfaces where life emerged.

I made some more lumens using a finer, dryer soil. The visual texture in these images varies from previous lumens made with damper soil which created more clustered patterns. The mark making in these lumens is less brash and blocky than before, creating a finer, more dustier appearance. Whilst the prior images are more explosive and appear to capture arrested momentum thus drawing connotations to the Hubble telescope images, these more recent lumens have an appearance which I personally perceive to be more reminiscent of the visual texture in the cosmic Hubble images. These newer images are, in my opinion, therefore, more successful in capturing the reflection of patterns across levels of the macro and the micro. The dustier texture additionally draws connotations to the Panspermia hypothesis, which serves to further fortify a demonstration of the connections existing between space and soil.

(https://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/postcards-from-the-universe/life_traveling_in_space_a/) (https://www.newscientist.com/definition/panspermia/)

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Helen Chadwick

From Viral Landscapes (1989)

Viral Landscapes is a series by British artist, sculptor and photographer Helen Chadwick. The images in this series combine panoramic landscapes of Pembrokeshire with enlarged microscopic images of cellular tissue from parts of the artist’s body. The shape and size of these images are deliberate to echo the shape of a medical slide. The work refers to a number of issues, including ecological pollution, as well as the unity of human experience and nature:

‘the work carries the message that human beings have become nature’s virus, taking over and changing the natural world to the point where everything is threatened, unless new patterns of co-existence are developed. Chadwick’s intention was that the Viral Landscapes proposes an aesthetic for this’

These images combine the micro and the macro, not only in the sense that they are a combination of both microscopic cells and macroscopic landscapes, but also in a sense that reflects the microcosm-macrocosm analogy which contemplates connotations between the cosmos and human physiology. The cell and the landscape are not randomly paired, but rather more thoughtfully allocated. The grouping of cells and each landscape was based upon relationships that Chadwick searched for between landscape shapes and elements of her own body, for instance blood cells were laid over the images of boulders of which she was reminded by their round appearance. This work is relevant to my investigation into the microcosm-macrocosm as it explores the connection between place and person in a context which references the correlation between the cosmos and human physiology. It demonstrates a conceptual representation of the recognition of patterns that exist both on a macro and micro scale.

(https://www.modernartoxford.org.uk/archive-helen-chadwick-viral-landscapes-1989-1990/) (cristearoberts.com/exhibitions/198/)

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David Maisel

From Library of Dust (2005)

The images in David Maisel’s series of work entitled Library of Dust depict copper canisters containing the unclaimed remains of patients who died at the Oregon State Insane Asylum between 1883 and the 1970s. The canisters are photographed in a studio setting on medium format film, documented as archival objects. Up close shots, however, reveal the detail of corrosion across the surface of the cans, where the reactions that have taken place on the surface of the copper canisters have transformed them into landscapes of incredible texture and colour. Each container is uniquely individual, the chemical composition in the ashes of each person catalysing its own reaction on the canister’s surface.

These images evoke conflicting themes. At first glance, these objects are very beautiful. The colours are bright and vibrant, texture blooming creating a sense of life. It is, however, upon learning about the circumstance in which they were produced, from chemical transformation over several years as the urns sat unclaimed by family, that other themes are revealed, such as neglect and mortality. This work, in addition, could be interpreted to support the microcosm-macrocosm analogy. The images that Maisel captures of these objects are undeniably galactic, visually demonstrating how the human body is a miniature universe. This is relevant to my work as it demonstrates how photography can be used as a visual tool to allude to theoretical concepts within science.

Lang, K. (2009) Voluptuous Unease: David Maisel's Library of Dust, Getty Research Journal, no.1, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23005371 (12/4/21)

(https://davidmaisel.com/works/library-of-dust/) (https://www.lensculture.com/articles/david-maisel-library-of-dust)

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Microcosm-Macrocosm

The microcosm-macrocosm analogy refers to the view according to which there is a structural similarity between the microcosm (the small universe) and the macrocosm (the great universe).

‘Quod est superius est sicut quod inferius, et quod inferius est sicut quod est superius’ (That which is above is like to that which is below, and that which is below is like to that which is above.)

This second verse of the Emerald Tablet, a cryptic hermetic text upon which alchemists founded their art, is understood as a reference to the supposed effects of celestial mechanics upon terrestrial events. These include natural phenomena such as the effects of the sun upon the seasons or the moon upon the tides. Other interpretations suggest that the verse refers to the structural similarities between the macrocosm and the microcosm. Most commonly, this concept explores the idea of the human body existing as a miniature universe. Applying the analogy to human physiology, for example, draws connotations between the cosmological functions of the seven classical planets and the functioning of the human organs. When broken down, this principle fundamentally explores the existence of patterns reproduced in all levels of reality. The paraphrase of this verse ‘as above, so below’ epitomises the belief that the cosmos is mirrored in man, a reflection of the correspondence between the micro and the macro.

To interpret this analogy literally, therefore, coincides with the reflection of celestial imagery that has been noted within my research on microscopic subjects. An application of this concept which indicates that patterns are reproduced throughout all levels of reality provides a theoretical explanation for the cosmic nature of images that capture microscopic life. I find the phrase ‘as above, so below’ particularly appropriate as it perfectly encapsulates how as above in space, there are the same patterns reflected in the soil below.

(https://www.britannica.com/topic/microcosm) (https://academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Macrocosm_and_microcosm)

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Space Lumens

As Hiroshi Sugimoto hints at within his work, a captured image is comparable to a captured memory. A photograph, therefore, represents more than just the subject. Within my images of soil, there is more than just the soil itself, there are also all the components that are hidden within the soil, the microscopic life, the remnant sunlight energy. All of these things which symbolise memory and the past are also present within the images. This, in turn, links to space as what we view from earth, the light that reaches us, is also past. Stars, therefore, much in the same way as soil, hold memory, once again demonstrating a connection shared between the macro and the micro.

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Hiroshi Sugimoto

Ligurian Sea, Saviore from Seascapes (1993)

Hiroshi Sugimoto is a Japanese photographer and architect. His series Seascapes consists of hundreds of black and white images of the sea and the horizon. Taken on a large format camera, the oceans in these images appear motionless, frozen by the prolonged exposure time that Sugimoto uses. Sometimes there is a definite split between the sea and the sky, in others it is blurred into a smooth gradient. In a video interview about Seascapes in 2018, Sugimoto describes how he first saw a photograph he had taken of the moon above the sea turned on its side, from which he gained a more cosmic perspective: ‘One day I simply turned it around. Suddenly it was no longer the view of the Moon from the Earth. It became a view of the Moon from a spaceship, hanging over the Earth.’

Sugimoto describes the sea horizon as the farthest place people can see from Earth. He explains how seascapes are unique landscapes as they are the only scenery that the modern world shares with more ancient times. These images, therefore, are not only of place, but also of space and time. By capturing the frozen horizon, Sugimoto seems to be hinting at the concept that these landscapes are frozen in time. This work explores memory, the concept that the images represent more than just the subject. 

(https://www.sugimotohiroshi.com/seascapes-1) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWh4t67e5GM&t=14s)

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Lumen Edits

Inspired by some of the original images taken from space, I edited some of the macro lumen shots and converted them into black and white. I wanted to recreate the low-fi aesthetic of the first space photographs, so I also added a textured layer to replicate the film grain that is visible in a lot of these older images. I additionally like the texture of the film grain because it adds more visual texture and is reminiscent of the grains of dirt that are left behind on the lumen prints. This creates a constructed narrative that may lead the viewer to believe that these images of soil are actually images from space. Similar to how Mandy Barker presents her found objects as scientific specimens, I am presenting my images of soil as images of space.

I prefer the black and white because it adds a more intense contrast which creates an artificial sense of spacial depth within the image. The use of black and white additionally alters the ambiance of the image, creating an atmosphere which is darker and more ominous. I think this is suited to the subject of space. Evoking these particular emotions is also well suited to the explosive nature of the images. Before, the colourful nature of the images created a playful and cheery atmosphere whereas in black and white the artificially captured motions are much more dramatic and impending.

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Photos from Space

The first photograph taken from space, 24th October 1946

On 24th October 1946, the first photo of Earth from space was taken on a DeVry 35mm black and white film camera which was fitted to the V-2 No.13 modified missile.

The first satellite image of Earth, 14th August 1959

On 14th August 1959, the Explorer 6 Satellite captured the first photograph of Earth via satellite while orbiting over Mexico.

In a way, I think that I prefer these earlier photographs to the more recent Hubble telescope images. Some of the colours in the Hubble telescope images are quite loud and garish. These black and white images resonate with me more as they evoke a much calmer atmosphere which I personally think better reflects the serenity and silence of space.

The Pillars of Creation, Captured by the Hubble Telescope in 2015

I also like the low-fi aesthetic of the older photographs, in particular the film grain on the first image that was taken in 1946. They have a sort of physicality which is evoked by the visible scratches and surface dust, making them appear more tactile and real. The Hubble Telescope images, on the other hand, can sometimes seem so brightly coloured and incredibly sharp that they appear hyper realistic, as if they were computer generated as opposed to actual photographs taken in space. I also like the concept of an actual camera being sent into space and these images being taken on film. I think it is comparable to the work of Stephen Gill in the sense that, much like his buried photographs, the film has been to the location that it is capturing and therefore has formed a connection with that place.

Lucy, M. (2017) The First Photograph of Earth Taken from Space https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/the-first-photograph-of-earth-taken-from-space/ (1/3/21)

(https://time.com/4063629/first-space-photo-colorized/) (https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/blog/60-years-ago-first-satellite-image-of-earth)

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Macro Lumen Images

I found a macro lens attachment for my phone which I then used to take images of my lumen prints. The macro lens revealed details in the lumen prints which were not visible to the naked eye, such as remnant dirt deposits on the surface of the paper and more detailed texture like miniscule scratches made from stones in the soil. These images also managed to capture colours that I hadn’t noticed previously, revealing more subtle blue and pink hues hidden in the prints.

I particularly like the shallow depth of field in these images that is produced by the macro lens. At certain angles, it creates a sense of suspended animation, which mimics some of the images captured from the Hubble telescope. Just in general, the shapes and colours are startlingly galactic in nature, a feature of the lumens which seems to intensify with the aid of the macro lens, thus serving to further fortify the concept of a mirroring between the cosmic and the microscopic.

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Matthew Brandt

From Dust (2014)

Matthew Brandt creates images by merging his photographic process with physical material collected from the sites represented in his work. In his series entitled Dust, Brandt reproduces historical images of demolished buildings from negatives found in libraries and archives. As part of his process, Brandt visits these now non-existent buildings and gathers dust from the location which he then uses as pigment in his gum bichromate prints.

The gum bichromate process was invented in the late nineteenth century. It involves the uses of light sensitive ammonium dichromate and watercolour pigments, which are applied to watercolour paper and then left to expose in sunlight using a negative. During exposure, the gum hardens, darkening the pigment. Following this, unexposed areas are washed away to reveal the positive image. Brandt’s images appear faded and low contrast due to his choice of pigment, which gives the images an aged look, suggestive of the passage of time which is reflected in his images.

Seeing this alternative process which incorporates dust and dirt into prints has made me think about how the dirt I am using is not only the subject of my lumens but also most likely a physical part of my prints. I use a different process to Brandt, meaning the mud is not physically or intentionally incorporated into the prints, but by placing the soil directly onto the paper it seems unavoidable that dirt deposits and traces of the soil would remain on the paper and are therefore a physical part of the print which I scan. I think it would be interesting if I could somehow find a way to reveal this remnant dirt, perhaps with a microscope or a macro lens. Revealing this hidden element of my image would additionally connote to revealing the hidden components within soil.

Karabinis, P. (2017) Matthew Brandt’s ‘Dust’ Photos Record the Past and Present, https://mocajacksonville.unf.edu/blog/Matthew-Brandt-s--Dust--photos-record-the-past-and-present/

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Lumen Prints

‘Most of the solar energy trapped by photosynthesis in carbonaceous molecules passes through the soil; the nutrients coursing through the ecosystem stream through the soil in endless cycles; pollutants released into the sky are neutralized within the soil. And in their passing through, the energy, the nutrients, the pollutants leave behind a trace, indelibly etched into the memory of the soil, recorded there in chemical, isotopic, biological, and physical script.’

Luminescence dating refers to a method utilised by geologists which enables them to determine how long-ago mineral grains were last exposed to sunlight. Soil can be dated by measuring remnant energy in the grains of quartz found within that sediment. Optically Stimulated Luminescence uses lasers to release trapped electrons which reveal when the soil may have last been exposed to ancient sunlight. This hints at the concept that data, or memory, is preserved within soil. In this instance, the memory within the soil is preserved by light. In this same way, images of space are preserved within the light that travels from distant galaxies. The concept that light is a form of memory is also encapsulated within the lumen process as sunlight is used to capture an image which preserves a memory. This use of light within my work thus serves to demonstrate another connection that these images of soil share with space.

Janzen, H. (2016) The Soil Remembers, Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vol. 80, Issue 6. https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com (23/2/21)

Alberge, D. (2021) Dramatic discovery links Stonehenge to its original site – in Wales https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/feb/12/dramatic-discovery-links-stonehenge-to-its-original-site-in-wales (2/3/21)