These photograms below are part of a group that more explicitly focuses on the element of performance of making art.

Like other photograms they employ several basic elements of the darkroom or photography practice as I have distilled them:

The photo paper,

the processor,

the enlarger ie., controlled light source,

the colored filters intended for a balancing a negative,

some kind of object to place on the paper,

and the key element: "ego of the maker"

I have given myself, the maker, an assignment to do a set of actions, ie, filter settings and arrangement of cardboard, some hand waving, etc. and then to replicate it exactly again. Each area of color represents a short exposure of time, for example 2 seconds of enlarger light with filters set at M30 Y130 makes yellow. So imagine a set of instructions to be memorized and performed in total darkness.

Let’s say I perform the actions and then run the paper through the processor and it comes out a few minutes later. The whole experience is fresh, and I’m maybe underwhelmed by the results and I think oh, I can do better. The darkroom is rented by the hour, so I go back in right away and try to get a better result. But then the next one is worse and the next worse, so you keep experimenting and violating the directive to mechanical reproduce the last one. But as they are marks of time, can the ever really be identical as they all represent different points on the linear timeline.

Note: I’m using ego here to mean something like “the agent of action in the physical world,” or the will.

Also note: All these pieces are cut off the roll in sequence, like if a roll of paper towels didn’t have the perforations and you had to hack of each piece with a razor. They fit back together like broken heart best friend lockets.

After sometime passes, a more circumspect mature voice chooses the groupings that get framed.