UV Printing
I have always hoped to explore the use of physical media to convey a vague, indescribable feeling, like floating memories falling and trying to find a carrier. First, the artist Rosie Clements’ work inspired me a lot. She printed it on bubble wrap using a UV printer, creating a photographic work with mosaic-like art. Using UV printing to explore different media seems very close to my concept, especially in terms of image representation on soft materials and the slightly blurry, unreachable feel.
So, I tried to schedule a UV printing time for the Digital Printing Studio, but unfortunately, it was already all booked before the deadline of the project. In addition, UV printing does not have much randomness compared to screen printing or RISO printing—both of them can affect printed materials due to different operational sequences or color combinations. So even if UV printing aligns with my idea, I believe it lacks the potential for sustained exploration in this project.
Gel Medium Photo Transfer
Thus, I conducted research on other materials because this artist also tried to print on fabrics. There is another way to keep the image in fabrics, instead of printing, which is to transfer the photos. I conducted image transfer experiments using the following materials:
Bubble wrap
Medical gauze
Cheesecloth
stretch mesh fabric
Industrial cleaning cloth (metal)
I put the deco pudge on the images and then transfer them into fabrics, allowing partial loss and surface interference. This medium tends to involve the gradual fading and fragmentation of existing images, presenting technical challenges in controlling the area where images linger—different materials and transfer adhesives are applied, which may also be related to humidity and glue concentration.
Lumen Printing and Proposal for Experiments
The original images from my memories cannot be preserved; no matter how they are reproduced, they can only be infinitely close to the moment that existed. Therefore, perhaps there is a way that is closer to this concept? So I referred to the works of artist John Fobe, a technique similar to Cyanotype processing, known as Lumen printing. This imaging method involves the direct fusion of light, reagents, and objects, which is more in line with the essence of memory compared to traditional photography or designs that are more precise and closely aligned with the original form.
Therefore, I will use lumen printing as the final reproduction medium, planning:
Materials: photo paper, transparent acrylic sheets, plants, clips, fixing solution, fixing disk
Control: The order of each operation.
Variables:
The condition of the planet (fresh or dry?)
Drying time (2-5 hours)
Light (Sunny/Sunny? Supplemental lighting?)
Use fixative solution (dose, developer + fixer)
Number of rinses after fixing (until there is no residue? )
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