"Substrates"
Series of 12 | Film photography | Medium format | 2023 | Limited edition of 7 + Artist's proof of 2
Series of 12 | Film photography | Medium format | 2023 | Limited edition of 7 + Artist's proof of 2
“Were it not for shadows, there would be no beauty.” Jun’ichiro Tanizaki – In Praise of Shadows
In this series, I aim to explore the complex beauty and delicacy of nature, and seek to understand the notion of substrates – the surface, in which an organism lives, grows.
We all grow from substrate like plants and trees do. Here I went in search of these interconnections between the natural world, and myself, focusing on the elements that serve as substrates for our existences. Over the course of several years, and even still today, I have been exploring the elements from which I have grown, trying to understand my foundation to try to reconnect with the person I am today.
Part of the result is here: a very personal, yet discreet journey in the comforting darkness of an underwood, far from the chaos and noise of an ultra-saturated world. I hope this journey could also be seen as a timeless and universal odyssey of self-discovery going way beyond the individual narrative. It is an invitation to think about our own roots and the substrates upon which we stand, upon which we have grown and continue to grow every day whether our origins, personal history, trauma, joy or everything in between.
May this series serves as a catalyst for introspection, a boost to explore the fundamental aspects of our lifes: the substrates of our existences, the substrates of our shared existence.
Julie Wolsztynski, Feb. 2024
In this series, I aim to explore the complex beauty and delicacy of nature, and seek to understand the notion of substrates – the surface, in which an organism lives, grows.
We all grow from substrate like plants and trees do. Here I went in search of these interconnections between the natural world, and myself, focusing on the elements that serve as substrates for our existences. Over the course of several years, and even still today, I have been exploring the elements from which I have grown, trying to understand my foundation to try to reconnect with the person I am today.
Part of the result is here: a very personal, yet discreet journey in the comforting darkness of an underwood, far from the chaos and noise of an ultra-saturated world. I hope this journey could also be seen as a timeless and universal odyssey of self-discovery going way beyond the individual narrative. It is an invitation to think about our own roots and the substrates upon which we stand, upon which we have grown and continue to grow every day whether our origins, personal history, trauma, joy or everything in between.
May this series serves as a catalyst for introspection, a boost to explore the fundamental aspects of our lifes: the substrates of our existences, the substrates of our shared existence.
Julie Wolsztynski, Feb. 2024