Ouroboros
Through experimentation with the basic elements of photography, I explore transformative reactions between light and chemistry as analogs for my body’s inability to chemically break down sugars into energy due to the chronic autoimmune disease Type 1 Diabetes.
To make Ouroboros, I mixed my iron-rich blood with insulin, sugar, and light-sensitive chemistry on microscope slides, which I exposed to sunlight to create crystalline formations. I translated these into silver gelatin photographs by inserting them directly into my enlarger in lieu of using a camera or negatives. I then selectively toned the prints in copper, and thus, transformed iron into silver and silver into copper. Historically, the alchemical conversion of metals was, in part, an effort to produce a universal elixir that would cure illness and prolong life.
The shape of the installation is inspired by the chemical structure of glucose while the name Ouroboros references the mythical serpent depicted eating its own tail and is intended to evoke a primordial cyclicality to which I hope to connect through my art.