PIPPA DYRLAGA - paper artist I decided to try and cut into some of the photographs and make them into a series of work. They were forgotten albums that ended up on a market stall in Huddersfield and I want to try and bring the forgotten subjects of the photographs back to life. They were once loved images, cherished by the people who took them and those who were in the photographs.
We don't know their stories, what their names were, what lives they lived. But we have a small snapshot into their lives many years ago. Photographs are a record that someone once lived a full life, and somehow the fate of these records have ended up in a strangers hands.
I am working on to the original photographs. I want to stay true to every mark, smudge and tear and crease in what I see as a precious object. I want to turn them back into something cherished that celebrates the moments in the lives of these strangers, that were important enough for them to record in a photograph. Before I cut into them, I am scanning them to keep a permanent copy before they are altered, along with the original notes in the album. I want to show the originals alongside the altered versions.
DIRECTIONS
STEP 1 Select one of the portraits you took from the roll of film that was shot. Pay attention to the figures, poses, and background when selecting. Make a 5x7 print in the darkroom. Make sure it's in focus and use a filter.
STEP 2 Plan out your cuts by using a pencil to lightly sketch out the patterns you would like to cut. You must cut at least 3 different patterns out of the photo but avoid cutting the figure(s). The entire background should have pattern cut into it. Be Careful!