Art Chemica

By Edward Odes

Have you ever seen faces or characters in abstract art forms and wondered why? This is quite normal. It is a phenomenon known as pareidolia - seeing faces, characters or patterns that in reality, don’t exist. It’s like seeing the man in the moon. In this body of abstract chemigram artwork, you will see incredible mythical and imaginary characters emerge. Some humorous, some goblin-like, some unusual, and some so realistic you will think they were hand drawn or painted. See how many you can find? How can that even be feasible? How can random chemical reactions produce such vivid representational figures out of what is essentially an abstract art form? It is as if the chemistry itself paints and creates these amazing and mythical figures, allowing just a little room for intervention along the way. Out of the chemical ‘mists’ of a photographic darkroom laboratory, comes unique and fascinating fabled characters!

This collection shows an intriguing and unusual series of abstract chemical art never seen before in a photobook!! This is also the first ever published series of chemigrams where these art forms show the frequency of this exciting phenomenon. Let your imagination loose and enjoy a fascinating exploration into the first photobook showing chemigrams and its connection to the “mists” of your mind.

Creatures of the Mist is a personal photobook and the culmination of a private journey into a little known and practised cameraless alternative darkroom process. It is an exploration into experimental art forms using photo-chemistry known as the chemigram.

‘I like to call it “Chemical Art” or simply “Art Chemica,”’’ says author, Dr Edward John Odes (PhD) (Anatomical Sciences)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Edward Odes
• Release date: Oct 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005041267

Book preview

Table of Contents

Dedication

About the Author

Acknowledgements

Preface

1.  What are Chemigrams?

2.  Artistic Process

3.  Theme of the Work and Personal Meaning

4.  Discoveries

5.  Conclusion

References

Dedication

For Kelly and Monica - who remind me every day to appreciate the colours of a sunset, and reflect on who I am, with love in their hearts.

About the Author

Dr Edward J. Odes holds a Doctorate in Anatomical Sciences from the University of Witwatersrand (Wits Medical School). Together with his colleagues, he has authored several academic peer reviewed scientific papers on bone diseases in South African hominin fossils. One of his most significant finds during his PhD, was discovering the oldest ancestral human fossil bone cancer in recorded history. The bone fragment is dated to approximately 1.9 million years old, and belongs to a juvenile hominin (human ancestor) from the Swartkrans Cave, in the Cradle of Humankind, South Africa.

He has over a decade of experience using both microscopic and digital imaging methods to assist in identifying and interpreting pathological conditions in ancient fossil bone. Dr Edward J. Odes’ current interest lies in alternative darkroom processes, with a special interest in abstraction in chemigrams, photography and art. He has now created a collection of abstract chemical artworks.

Acknowledgements

I gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the following people:

Nicole Clare Fraser, for her depth of insight, expert knowledge of darkroom techniques, artistic, colour proofing skills, and photographic prowess, without which the original volume would certainly not have seen the light of day.

Matt Slater of Slater Studio and Quiet Sun Books, for the original design layout of the first prototype volume. For his design, photographic and artistic skills, and invaluable advice, and for the many pleasant hours of debate in putting the original volume together.

Warren Veenman of Reach Publishers for taking on my work, and always being magnanimous with advice in traversing the rocky but exciting road of e-publishing.

Alison Parle, of Reach Publishers for e-publishing and editing advice.

Lodewyk Bieldt and Karina van Eeden for their design and layout of this first e-publication.

Laura Gray for editing my manuscript.

Original chemical artwork was created in the darkroom of ORMS Cape Town School of Photography (CTSP). Original prototype produced by Orms Print Room.

E-publication and Online edition, layout, design, and editing by Reach Publishers [e-mail]

Copyright: Dr Edward J. Odes. All rights reserved. Production in whole or in part by any means is prohibited without permission from the author.

In photography, as in all art, what is of fundamental importance is not finding an idea but exploring matter manifest in forms. It is about sustaining a certain substance, from within which creativity can circulate.

Jean-Claude Lemagny

Preface

I have always found abstraction of all kinds, especially in photography and art, deeply intriguing. It was no wonder then that this was what initially sparked my interest in alternative darkroom techniques. It would eventually lead me to explore and experiment