Monday, June 9th 2008
The end of Polaroid. The end of an art form?
Sixty years have passed since Edwin Herbert Land started something that has changed the photography world, it was the first Polaroid instant camera. Since that day, thousands of children, adults, photographers and artists had snapshotted the world, and now all that could is coming to an end.
After sixty years the Polaroid Corp. is leaving the film business and closing plants in Massachusetts… no more instant cameras, no more instant films…
Does it also means no more instant photographers?
I recently discovered an artist in America who took a Polaroid-a-day for a large period of his life. Jamie Livingston took a Polaroid every day for 18 years, including the day he died in 1997.
Family and friends got together and put on an exhibition of his 6000+ images. It looked like this:
I know of people who are trying to emulate this on Flickr the photo-hosting site, but it just doesn’t hold the same meaning as a Polaroid. The ‘instant-ness’ of a Polaroid can’t even be captured with a mobile phone camera.
There’s something quite wonderful about Jamie’s photographs, they aren’t a collection of forced poses or composed shots or juxtapositions, he isn’t looking for something funny, weird, or ironic. These photos are as simple as memories.
They don’t always make sense, they don’t always fit into some grand theme or design. Here is a memory. Here is another. All you need to know is: this was then, on this date. This happened, I was there. Do you remember?
A wonderful legacy to leave behind.
Posted by Richard on Monday 9th of June 2008 at 11:15am
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Nooo! I love polariods! The film's a bit pricy, but they're brilliant. Where can I buy the film when they've gone out of production? Or do I just need to go and buy the rest of Argos' stock this week?
Posted by Siân on Monday 9th of June 2008 at 11:56am