Pandemic Postcards
Working at home with a supply of old photo paper, and no chemicals, I have been making lumen prints to send in the mail. These are unfixed prints made with sunlight, that continue to expose over time. The prints are sent through the mail as a post card, entirely unprotected. Each print’s surface accumulates marks from the postal service machinery, and sometimes from inclement weather along the way. The image changes as the print is exposed to light in transit.
I ask the recipient to send me a photo of their print when it arrives. I share an image of the print before I mailed it so we can compare with how it looks when received. One of the most fascinating parts of this project is seeing how different they each appear under different lighting conditions. The coloration is subtle and the image is illusive. It is very difficult to capture an accurate representation of how the print looks in person. Some friends have sent me multiple photos of the same print taken moments apart, showing just how changeable they are. I have concluded that the print is one thing, and it lives in the moment in which you are looking at it. Any images of it/from it are another thing entirely.
These are made with sunlight (and in a few cases, snow, hail, and rain) at my home in Vermont. Living in a time that feels both momentous and in constant flux, and so it feels fitting to send a fragile and fleeting appearance out into the world. The gentle act of sending mail has been a small, but meaningful way to connect across the distance.
