Reconsidering the Enemy: Molds in Photography

A photograph is a sponge of change. It resists to be one thing for all time. When it soaks up some sun and sip in a little moisture, it is already in a state of chemical imbalance. It welcomes decay, and a new beauty sets in.

In her book Mold is Beautiful, Luce Lebart proposes a reverse-mindset. Decay may have a desirable effect: it is a source of new aesthetic elements. The key ingredient is the thing that Lebart and her team at the Société Française de Photographie try to keep at bay—fungi.

What a photographer directs and crafts with skill is always subject to change. Some things that appear in their prints are beyond control—time, chemicals, and organisms collaborate with the artist in turning a willed thing into a free-form canvas.

Even here at Lomography, spoiled photographs have made the rounds as showcase pieces:

What do you think of damaged photographs as new, complex-patterned works? We welcome your comments below.

Thanks for your time! If you liked this article you might also enjoy Marcus DeSieno on Merging the Old and New, Manifesting the Unseen, and Exploring the Vastness of the Universe with Photography and Your Weekend Reading List: Photographers in Short Stories.

2016-02-18 #lifestyle #decay #molds #damaged-photographs