Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Friday August 1st - Alternative Photography Show Opening!


"Wedding Night"
From the series "The Honeymoon Sacrament"
©Catherine Just 2008
This is a photograph taken with a pinhole camera and type 54 Polaroid film. It's an exposure that was taken all night long. Capturing traces of the sacred on our wedding night. This is one of a series of images I took on our honeymoon.


There are many layers to the sacred quality of this image:
1. It's our wedding night.
2. Most Religions deem the wedding night and sex within marriage as sacred.
3. The honeymoon only happens one time during the marriage and is something we cannot do over. It's a romantic bubble, merging the two of us as one.
4. Polaroid is no longer made. It's a nostalgic memory of my photography past.
5. The Polaroid was made into a copy negative and printed in the darkroom. The darkroom is considered a thing of the past. As digital takes over the photo world, A darkroom printed image is seen as "alternative", or precious.
6. The image was then toned with a sepia toner which gives it a warm brownish tone. Reminds you of those old fashioned images of the past. Again. you know - precious. Nostalgic.

The wedding night. romantic, sacred, honored, precious, sentimental, unique, merging, seen as a communion between the husband and wife and of the spiritual element of god of the energy of the universe.

sac·ra·ment
–noun
1. Ecclesiastical. a visible sign of an inward grace, esp. one of the solemn Christian rites considered to have been instituted by Jesus Christ to symbolize or confer grace: the sacraments of the Protestant churches are baptism and the Lord's Supper; the sacraments of the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches are baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, matrimony, penance, holy orders, and extreme unction.
2. (often initial capital letter) Also called Holy Sacrament. the Eucharist or Lord's Supper.
3. the consecrated elements of the Eucharist, esp. the bread.
4. something regarded as possessing a sacred character or mysterious significance.
5. a sign, token, or symbol.
6. an oath; solemn pledge.


This image will be shown in an upcoming Juried Group Show called:

" Alternative Photography "
Julia Dean Gallery
801 Ocean Front Walk, Studio 8
Venice beach, CA
Friday August 1st 6-9pm

19 photographers will be showing all types of alternative photography. Toy camera, Lensbaby, Platinum & Palladium, Collodion, and more.

Come on by and view all the work!

**A big thank you to John Matkowsky at DRKRM Gallery for the copy negative, printing, and toning.

Quote for the day:

“Every human is an artist. The dream of your life is to make beautiful art.”
Miguel Ruiz