“I am a collector of old photographs. Drawn to their delicate yet enduring physicality, I marvel at these perfect illustrations of time’s passage and find endless beauty in their decay.”

 

Kaitlyn Danielson’s practice is rooted in older photographic processes and pushes the boundaries of these methods, both technically and conceptually. By merging historical photographic processes with modern technologies, she explores the monumental gap between the photographic past and present. The work is comprised of 2 separate, but distinctly analogous series: Still Remains and On Verso. 

 

Still Remains

 

“Removed from their once-beloved, now obsolete photo albums, the snapshots are turned over and I am confronted with the direct mark of a human hand. These uncovered gestural marks resemble a unique calligraphy similar to abstract painting. By way of erratic composition, disparate photos find their way together, the abstraction of the ripped paper, glue stains and chemical residue speak their own language. 

    

Obsessively arranging the shapes, textures and colors, I create balance, find order, and discover a place to direct fear of my own decay. The act is a meditative visualization of personal memory. Reminiscent of Rorschach tests, my subconscious reveals itself as the artworks take form. What remains is evidence of my memories, still moments of time, images of thought.”

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On Verso 

 

“An old photograph is turned on its reverse and a handwritten caption stares back, demanding attention. Suddenly, words in ink or graphite replace the images they are meant to describe, and a dialogue unfolds between artwork and observer. Denying viewer the original photograph, I compel them to draw from their personal memory and create an image of their own. In this way, the works of On Verso form a relationship with the viewer and simultaneously function as portrait and mirror.

 

Photography’s objectivity and functionality as memory-preserver are called into question. Forgotten, discarded memories of the passed activate memories of the living, creating an exchange that is dynamic and continuous.

 

On Verso celebrates human life, considers the complexity of the photographic image, and reflects my own personal desire to avoid the impending prospect of being forgotten.”