Trace 30
Jiang Pengyi
蒋鹏奕
Production date
2016
Object Detail
Media
Polaroid emulsion lift, dressmaker's pins
Measurements
27.4 x 21.4 cm
Notes
For the Trace series (2015-2016) Jiang experimented with the technique of ‘lifting’ the light-sensitive emulsion from a Polaroid photograph by soaking it in water and manipulating it to create an entirely new print: a form of photography without a camera. When the wet emulsion is laid down on a sheet of paper, it can be gently pushed, pinned, creased and folded into new shapes. The dreamy, rumpled images recall the folds of drapery in old master paintings, making us think of empty rooms and uninhabited clothing: the sense of absence is palpable. Vertical lines of light created by folds and wrinkles in the emulsion suggest mysterious glimpses of a world beyond the everyday. Trace 24, 27, 28, 30, 33 and 36 irresistibly recall abandoned garments, hung on a hook, or flung over a chair. Stainless steel pins hold the folds and creases of emulsion in place, reminding us of delicate butterfly wings displayed by a collector of insect specimens. These small works speak of melancholy and loss; their scale invites an intimacy that is denied by the ambiguity of the image.
Accession number
2017.069