Dark Matter 2

My work deals with migration, colonisation, language and place, mapping the territories (both internal and external) that chart belonging. After moving to Australia in 2019, and as migration became an increasingly tense subject in the face of the pandemic,I started considering more abstract ways to understand borders, identity and belonging, looking into the corrosive processes that we enforce on other humans.This interest has led me to research the overlapping nature between dark room photography and etching, both of which come into existence through timed exposures to corrosive agents.I intend to use the time provided at the residency to research this intersection, making the most of Photo Access’ infrastructure and liaison with Megalo, both of which offer valuable access to workshops that are no longer readily available or easily accessible elsewhere.

Image caption:
Melanie Cobham, Mapping Territories (ant traces; four day exposure), 2021, Soft ground etching, gelatin silver sprint, 45x30cm