Andy
Mattern

Ghost

Hiding on the backs of some long-forgotten photographs are "ghost" images, faint traces of other pictures that pressed up against the surface for decades. In fact, these apparitions are a side effect of platinum photography, whose key ingredient can react with nearby papers, leaving a mirror image. Although platinum photography has long been revered for its permanence and rich tones, its use declined before the First World War because platinum was needed for explosives. This destructive ability is the same power that accidentally produces ghost images. In this project, I reanimate found ghost images as modern platinum prints, returning them to their original form. This process is intended to harness the mysterious visual qualities of the source images and point to a surprising wrinkle in the fabric of photographic representation.