Club Meeting - Lecture/Workshop Evening
About this event:
Biochromes.
Native to Poland, Renata Buziak’s interest in photography began there before her relocation to Australia in 1991. From obscure close ups of the human form to aerial and macro photography, her work confirms her affinity for and intimacy with the natural world. Renata’s current projects focus on the process of organic decomposition and its effect on photographic materials. The resultant images of this ‘biochrome’ process reflect natural environmental processes and their significance in life cycle.
Renata says, ‘Nature’s vegetation offers an endless supply of organic matter for use in my artworks. I create images by forming alliances between a variety of plants and photographic emulsions. I call these images ‘Biochromes’ because the natural occurrence of decomposition on the photographic materials results in an array of colourful pigmentation arranged in complex and detailed compositions, aided by natures own creative skill.
The chemical and biological reactions that take place during the process of decay are fundamental to my image making process. This art and science endeavor traces the activities of the microbes; reveals the complex process of decay while addressing its metamorphic power. My work also combines my interests in macro and aerial imaging of the environment.
While my practice builds on the traditions of botanical illustrations and experimental photographic techniques, my ‘fertilisation’ of photographic materials, using vegetation, directly focuses on the significance of time and change through organic decay and regeneration, pushing the boundaries of the photographic medium.’