Natures Texture by Ramona Güntert
In my practice I use natural phenomena as metaphors to talk about photography in relation to its material and environment. Camouflage; adaptation to a space. Iridescence; changing its surface through outside influences. Metamorphosis; looking at the transformation of the material as an idea of becoming. But I wonder how I could make those influences part of my process of making rather than nature only being a theme in my work.
Photography itself is a natural phenomenon to me. Its reaction of light is a trace of nature. Therefore the medium should be working more in sync with nature but through the wish of perfection and the desire of it being eternal, they clash and cause damage to each other. The process itself has always been more important for me than the outcome itself. This has not just included taking photographs, I also started to collaborate with other artist, performing the process of making, inhabiting a creative environment of making in the exhibition space or giving workshops in schools and gallery spaces.
During the lockdown, being isolated, without human interaction or inspiring outside influences, I took the time to rethink my work. Therefore, I started using materials that are surrounding me at home. At the same time I got invited to do a digital residency with the London Alternative Photography Collective to look at ways of sustainability in analogue photography and the darkroom. I explored plant based developer, chemigrams with materials from the kitchen and used discarded material to dye fabric and made a patchwork out of it.
Through the exchange with others I got inspired to look into the idea of degrowth and questioned if there is a way that photography could come back closer to its origin by going back to think about what photography really is. Documenting or capturing nature. It is an imprint of its environment through its sensitivity. Similar to alchemy which is also about light and energy and how basic substances such as metal change into other substances.
The human figure was never meant to be in the centre of photography as such but through history they claimed its power. I always struggled with the medium and the idea of documenting something. I see it more as tracing something, making it become material through its tactility. I try to understand nature but also what it means to be humanm by sharing experience through making together and learning from each other. Can I collaborate with nature? How much do I have to unlearn to understand?
The following images are work in progress, material tests and outcomes from workshops which refer to the described ideas.
www.ramonaguntert.com
