Tenleymayfield’s Weblog

Last day of class! There has been so much going on over the past few weeks, and for anyone that has been following my blog, I thought you might want to read my final artist statement regarding my Senior Exhibition.

PRESERVE TO MAINTAIN

In life I have found that there are many things you come to pass that are antiquated. These certain belongings that have evolved are, to some extent, inadequate. One such item is the camera. Photography equipment from the 1960’s to the early 2000’s has been replaced by new digital technology. Film cameras are now mostly retired due to the process of developing and due to environments moving quickly toward a future where time is of the essence. Those who might wish to use the “older style” certainly must not only possess the patience for the laborious process of film development, but also must appreciate the nostalgia that is film photography.

Over the past few years, I have developed a fascination with the forgotten equipment exiled in old boxes, living their last days on dusty shelves. As I find them, I enjoy puzzling out how they operate, I think about the memories they created or even the events they captured at some point during their previous life. One thing is for certain: Although the photographs from these cameras will not last forever, the memories and the nostalgia have a much better chance at survival.

So, I started asking myself how to combine memories and cameras. How can they become static forms?

I started purchasing this equipment from garage sales and antique shops. I accumulated a large box of antique film cameras. Some date back to the 1950’s. The idea: create a personal connection out of actually collecting together these cameras I had found. What had these old things been witness to? What mysterious histories those others had recorded… certainly a myriad of different uses with the cameras. Who used them really? What was I going to do with all these cameras other than let them collect dust on another shelf or in another box? My first instinct after examining all the cameras inside and out was to cut them in half. This decision came about from the idea that most see a camera, load film into it, snap the shot and get the film developed. My fascination with the guts of the cameras started to be more prevalent when I would hold and experiment with the cameras. My curiosity turned into an aspiration to show a view of these cameras that would portray a range of developing technology overtime in an unexpected way. These cameras have been transformed into an altered artifact that will only last for a short, though indeterminate, period of time.