January 29, 2014

BERLIN & I | INSTANT PHOTOGRPHY AND MICROWAVE MAGIC



INSTANT PHOTOGRAPHY AND MICROWAVE MAGIC

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Joining this perfect match is Berlin-based analogue photographer, Oliver Blohm , whose photography comes with a bit of a twist. His project, ‘The Impossible Nuke’, is put together specially for this collaboration, and will hang in the Sofortbild-Shop until 15th March – it’s definitely worth a look. At first glance, Blohm’s photos don’t reveal much about their process: it’s mostly individual portraiture, with a beautiful ethereal texture to it. At the vernissage on Thursday, though, we learn the key to the process: an old microwave. As members of the Impossible team mingle and take Polaroids of visitors, Blohm takes the freshly developing pictures and begins zapping them in an old microwave he’s brought along. “The process is very… experimental,” he says, staring intently into the microwave as a pungent smoke begins to emerge. Initially a failed attempt to shorten the photos’ developing time, the method has become a signature one for the photographer, though the results (tonight at least) are a bit hit and miss. Our own ‘nuked’ photo has (for better or for worse) ended up nuking our faces away. The patience and persistence behind Blohm’s beautiful blown-up ‘nukes’ already hanging on the wall becomes evident. 

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