PHOTOGRAPHY STUDENT, DUBLIN

‘The Polaroid Image as Photo-Object’ written by Peter Buse was written for the purpose of research into the polaroid at the Polaroid company itself. Buse makes two main claims. Firstly, that the polaroid is better seen as an object and secondly that the actual taking of a polaroid is surrounded by intrigue in many situations.

 

The author argues the polaroid is more than just an image but is also a photo object. According to Photographs Objects Histories (Edwards and Hart, 2004) the ‘materiality’ of an image takes three forms which consist of: ‘the plasticity of the image itself, its chemistry, the paper it is printed on’; its presentational forms’ and ‘the physical traces of usage and time’ (p.3)

The process of making the photo-object that is the polaroid, the frame that surrounds it and the skin like cover adds to its appeal and value as a photo-object. As Trotman stated, ‘Taking a Polaroid is an event unto itself’ (Trotman, 2002) having instant photography technology created an atmosphere itself, people would act spontaneously for photos and wait eagerly for the instant result to be printed.

 

An observation Buse has made is that photography and polaroids in particular are a social catalyst, used for engagement and to capture the natural state of its subject. Many photographers benefited from their work with polaroid, Jeremy Kost being an example the author used was able to capture celebrities in their natural, relaxed state and environment. The excitement that polaroids carried also had the celebrities intrigued which brought them to the polaroid camera rather than Kost having to seek out his subject. Kost came to realise that ‘the camera served as a sort of social catalyst’ (Lyon, 2006) the excitement the camera created made it a simple way to socialise. This would change the atmosphere in unfamiliar situations and change people's attitudes despite the context or their backgrounds.

 

The author takes into account the technology and how it evolves into unanticipated practices when released to the public and how cultural parameters could possibly affect this. The 3 provisional examples the author made in regards to the instant gratification from polaroid’s benefiting from the ‘social catalyst’ being: ‘disaggregated social world where communal bonds are weak, and certainly not the primary mediator of social relations’, ‘every stranger is potentially a friend, whose otherness is far from absolute, and can in fact be quickly overcome through the appropriate technological support’ and ‘the mechanization of intersubjectivity is taken for granted, it is self-evident.’ This alienation and separation could be prevented with the magic-like characteristics polaroid’s have in these instances.

​

Buse reiterates the importance presentation of polaroid’s holds. He looks at the common use of polaroid mosaics and its effectiveness. A common trend seen among photographers such as Jeremy Kost and his bathtub of polaroid’s is the urge to group polaroid’s together into a subject such as a body. Buse states the similarity between the coating of a polaroid that allows it to develop in the light and using it as a skin-like surface in the case of the Polaroid bath. Mosaics were commonly used and still are to this day when it comes to polaroids. This was in an attempt to compose a clearer image of the subject taken, this approach in regard to presentation resulted in what is known as ‘binocular vision’ (Hoy, 1988: 56) where everything is seen close-up.

 

The author of this article review, Lucia Rigney agrees in the context of her first year of B.A photography that a photograph is more than just its image but finds that the context of taking photos with a digital camera differs greatly from the context in which polaroid’s would be used. She finds when she is out in public with her professional digital camera that others are wary of having their photograph taken and the atmosphere is the opposite to what it was with polaroid’s. Although now with the resurgence of polaroid’s people see them as a social tool or fun in a party context.

 

In regard to the technological unconscious the polaroid brings she finds it’s similar and relevant to the current day and how social media has affected the purpose with which people take photos. With digital photography (particularly with phones) the majority want to take photos instantly and immediately display them on social media accounts. There is no need to concern himself with how the photo is produced.

On the other hand, polaroid’s differ as it's quite a personal photo-object. Every polaroid is unique and unedited with the result being instant. This makes it feels as though the polaroid was ahead of its time with the capability of an immediate copy or object unlike with digital cameras.

 

 

References

​

Buse, P. (2010) ‘The Polaroid Image as Photo-Object’ Journal of Visual Culture.

Vol 9(2): 189–207. DOI 10.1177/1470412910372754.

 

Edwards, E. and Hart, J. (2004) ‘Introduction: Photographs as Objects’ Photographs Objects Histories, pp. 1–15. Eds. London: Routledge.

 

Hoy, A. (1988) ‘Hockney’s Photocollages’, in Los Angeles County Museum of Art, David Hockney: A Retrospective, pp. 55–65. New York: Harry N. Abrams.

 

Lyon, C. (2006) ‘Shooting Glitz with a Polaroid, Jeremy Kost Is Gracious in a Galling Trade’, Columbia News Service.

 

Trotman, N. (2002) ‘The Life of the Party: The Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera and Instant Film Photography’, Afterimage 29(6), May/June: 10.