Transfer Site Blues

Series statement:
We often treat transfer sites as endless voids where we throw away not only our trash, but our responsibility to the land and our cohabitants. Yet, this concept of "throw away" is a myth, a convenient lie perpetuated by an "out of sight, out of mind" ideology.

Inspired by the raw, DIY ethos of punk rock music, Transfer Site Blues is a visual riot that reveals the gritty reality of our unchecked waste and confronts the toxic inheritance of rampant consumerism. Through erratic, hand-applied chemistry, I transform the silver gelatin paper into active sites of contamination, mimicking the heavy metals and forever chemicals consumed by our cohabitants and leached into our soils. The resulting distortions act as caustic and loud visual feedback serving as the literal screams of a poisoned earth refusing to be discarded like everyday trash.

Process:
Shot with Ilford HP5 120 film using a Mamiya RB67. Selectively developed on Ilford Multigrade FB paper and splashed with cyanotype. Digitally scanned and manipulated in Lightroom.

Medium:
Gelatin Silver Print