Gathering Meaning

Gathering Meaning / 2011

Three Panel Altarpiece

Traditional Silver Prints - 3 / A series in progress / 28” x 28”

Kim Borst

Painted altar panels originated in the Late Gothic/Early Renaissance in Europe. One function they served was to visually instruct the illiterate public regarding Christian dogma or philosophy. My altarpiece references that traditional multi-panel presentation but the instruction addresses the general philosophy of the indigenous cultures of the Americas. The essence of that philosophy is “the importance of the interconnectedness of the living and nonliving elements or the animate or inanimate elements.” Considering the birth of this philosophy and its existence predates the influence of Christianity and other western and eastern religions my altarpiece more closely references paganism.

Each of the images on the 3 separate panels of my altarpiece are traditional wet lab photographs, printed from 2 or more negatives I cut up and then reassembled using scotch tape. The resulting negative is then projected or exposed onto an assemblage of traditional photographic paper that is cut and arranged in a specific way resembling a jigsaw puzzle. During the 2 to 3 stage exposure for each image I introduce other devices such as sheets of glass, rope shavings, aloe vera gel, more scotch tape, masking tape, etc. The introduction of these devices sometimes affects the implication of space, environment, and the conveyance of mood as well as surface texture. Once the exposure is made I then chemically process each piece of photo paper let them dry then carefully reassemble them. After the image is reassembled to my liking I then soak the composition with water so the resin-coated pieces of photo paper will stick together once dry. The number of ideas I have yet to explore regarding presentation and print quality effects excites me.

The primary title of this work and ultimately the finished series is “Gathering Meaning.” This concept is a reoccurring theme in my work and is one my motivations for existing. I consider myself a religious person but not in the Judeo/Christian sense. I feel my religion is more closely aligned with paganism.