I’ll be the first to admit that when The Impossible Project released their Magentatype film earlier this month, I was a tiny bit skeptical. However, I love IP film, and have never been disappointed, plus I already had a project that I was working on where this unique film would work perfectly for me, so I ordered some for myself. I’m so happy I did, and plan to order more and more until they run out. With that said…
I have always been fascinated by my Irish ancestors. I have been able to uncover so very little about them, which has always haunted me. I know next to nothing about them – I mainly just know that they existed, and that they came to the U.S. in the mid 1800’s. That’s it. No stories, much less any photos. I also know nothing of any of my female Irish ancestors – only my many-great grandfather and his brother.
The project I am working on at the moment explores this unsatisfied need to belong to a culture and a history that I think many Americans in my generation experience in one way or another. Sure, we have unending natural beauty here, which I love, but we lack the castles, cathedrals, town squares and landmarks that date back centuries and millennia, tying us to those who came before us.
I wanted to see what would happen if I appropriated images of Ireland from the 1800’s and early 1900’s in a modern (and in the case of the Magentatype film, punk rock-esque) way. Using the Impossible Lab, I’ve transferred what were, most-likely, glass plate negatives at one point in time to instant film. They are images of women who are of no relation (or maybe they are, who knows…) to me – they are someone else’s ancestors – and places I have never seen, but still feel a connection. Being able to hold the small, instant images makes the faces and locations feel even more personal and familiar.
I’ve amassed quite a collection of these instant images already, and they consist of portraits of women, Irish landscapes, towns, and also images of New York and Ellis Island. I have no idea what I am going to do with them – if I’m going to make a wall o’ instant film in my office, or use them to make emulsion transfers. For now, I’m just enjoying them for what they are. Beautiful black/white/magenta mementos.
The original images came from the Commons over at Flickr, from the National Library of Ireland, so if you have a few hours (it can be addictive!) be sure to browse their collection.
Wow very cool stuff, Anna!
Thank you, Cara! This has been really fun for me lately, and kind of outside my norm, which is nice.
What a wonderful post Anna.
I’m right there with you when it comes to my ancestors as well. I know where they came from but I don’t know anyone that can tie me to the start but the Grandfather. I did find some stuff on Ancestry that gave me more than I could imagine – a gift in a way. I have asked folks that have traveled to parts of Europe and my name is in parts – could be family.
Love the film too – I can never get enough of the IP films and love the instant lab.
Good post.
What a fantastic project Anna! I love the way these have turned out new/old, old/new.
um, this is brilliant. what a great idea and concept!
Lovely and amazing. Great project, Anna!!
This is so freaking cool. I love how you’ve incorporated the instant film into your project. Also, I am beginning to regret not jumping on the magenta film. The cyan looked a bit of a bust but people are doing great things with the magenta.
Thank you, everyone! I am really excited about this project!
Debra – I hate that this is a limited run of film. It seems like Magentatype has more contrast, maybe, than the cyan…I’m not sure. Either way, it’s so much more versatile a film than I had anticipated.
Anna, This is such a great project! Glad you found use for the magenta film and I can’t wait to see how it evolves.