twice removed

It’s not saying much to admit digital photography has replaced traditional wet photography. Maybe that’s a sad thing, maybe not. Either way this shift has dematerialized images and changed our relationship to how we take, collect and edit them.

Originally intended to bring the photographer and the event into the same space and time, the goals of the Polaroid camera technology were not to far from those of digital cameras. In both cases the person taking a photo has instant results and satisfaction. In the end however a Polaroid photo is the exact opposite of a digital photo. A precious singular, non-repeatable object that is surprisingly expensive to produce.

While there is little point in trying to fight the digital, it is worth paying attention to what is changing. As there are no costs for consumables or delay for developing, digital technology has allowed us to take far more photographs than we used to. Arguably they are no better. Rather than being fussy about getting everything right, why not just take a lot of pictures and delete the ones that are no good? On the other hand with a Polaroid you know every time you press the shutter button you are spending the equivalent of a good cup of coffee. You have to care about each shot or you are wasting money and one of the mere 8 pictures you have in that pack of film. It’s a different world for sure.

Twice removed is an interactive installation that provides an opportunity to embrace both technologies simultaneously. Much like a photographer hunting for the perfect shot, a user of this piece has to steer a digital camera over a grid of mounted Polaroid prints. A dolly like device holds it a set distance from the wall and provides an intentionally clunky crosshair for aiming it at your intended subject. Slipping a dollar bill into a nearby bill validator activates the camera and sends the image to an enclosed small format digital printer. A one-to-one digital print is ejected from a slot and can be taken away. This duplicate is a cool artifact of the show but lacks the singularity of the original Polaroid on the wall. After all, you can just print another one.