Sophia Etling
COVID-Lovers, from Quarantine Series
oil pastel, glue, and varnish on cropped instant film
3 x 3 in.
NFS
I am an interdisciplinary artist and craftswoman based in Chicago, IL. While I fell in love with art through my ceramics practice, it was alternative and experimental photographic methods that captured my heart.
My current work combines alternative photographic techniques (collodion wet plate, manipulated darkroom images, and altered instant film) with oils, oil pastels, and varnishes to render three-dimensional photographic objects that take on a new depth.
The plastic and metal components of the film interact with the “incompatible” oils and varnishes that overlay them to produce a unique patina on each print, making each work’s aging process truly individual and keeping alive the “surprise” element of the analog photographic process, which is all too rare in our digital age.
© Sophia Etling