Artist and filmmaker Karel Doing gave a workshop about phytography, a technique that makes it possible to render detailed chemical traces of plants directly on photographic emulsion. The process takes place in full daylight and makes use of biodegradable chemistry. During the workshop the artist explained his technique and provided a hands-on demonstration. He also talked about early photography, related experimental techniques and ecological awareness. Participants worked on photographic paper and 16mm film, with the resulting animation (see below) projected at the end of the workshop.
Karel Doing is an independent artist, filmmaker and researcher from the Netherlands who relocated to the UK in 2013 to start a research project focused on ecology and cinema. This project has culminated in an ongoing engagement with plants and photochemical emulsion, investigating the relationship between culture and nature by means of analogue and organic process, experimentation and co-creation. His work has been shown worldwide in cinemas and galleries, he regularly collaborates with musicians and sound artists, and his writing has been published in journals and books about art, photography and film.
