In honor of Anna Atkins who was the first person to illustrate a book with photographs, I have produced Compendium 1898–1919, a chronology of twelve assemblages made from the earliest expired photographic papers in my collection. The exact expiration dates of these papers pinpoint their location on a timeline and coexist with events in world history. No matter what the light-sensitive materials have endured through dormant years, they still respond to chemical development, and the resulting photographic tones are evidence of experience. Physical damage, moisture, and mold produce tonal changes when developed, and I consider these effects to be subject matter. - Alison Rossiter
This book, a co-publication with the New York Public Library and Yossi Milo, includes all twelve works from the series at actual scale, along with close-up details, photographed by Peter Riesett, Head Photographer, Digital Imaging Unit, New York Public Library. The reference dates, which cover world events such as World War II and the sinking of the Titanic, and art-historical references the founding of the Bauhaus, will also be included as a reference key in the back of the book.
”… pure, seductive standalone images that eliminate the photographed subject.”— Nadia Vellam, T Magazine
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