20 Experimental Photographers You Need to Know | EXP.21
“Paesaggi Immaginari” by Felicita Russo
The traditional definition of experimental photography is “using your camera or post-processing in a non-traditional way”. Seems simple right? Not so fast. If it was was really that easy for artists to just do something different, we wouldn’t be that interested in the topic, to begin with. What we are interested in is not merely the exploration of something different but the revolutionary experimentation that is born by artists who are practicing, working, and exercising their artistic creativity while mastering new and historical processes, and making them their own. This driving ambition produces unexpected works by embarking on cerebral adventures that change the way we look at photography as a whole As Pablo and Laura from Experimental Photography Festival describe it from their 2020 Festival Manifesto: “This nonconformity is circular: it was born with the advent of photography itself, deepened with historical avant-garde artists, which is now returning with the rebirth of analog photography in this digital age.”
Pablo and Laura make an excellent point. Photography as a science and art has always been about pushing the limits. For hundreds of years, artists have been pushing the envelope forward by taking what we know about our artistic heritage and flipping it on its head to create a brand new modus operandi. This new way of doing things isn’t about a certain technique, trend, or aesthetic, but about a whole new attitude in how we think about creating images. Experimenting is an experience in itself and is not solely limited to the production of a specific work of art. It is the great metaphor of life, artists as individuals who are searching for meaning in their work by ignoring past norms, taking chances, and embracing the unexpected.
As a community, experimental photography is important to our culture. However, if we tried to objectify it absolutely, we would utterly fail. If we succeed, the only thing we would gain by it would be putting artists into boxes that they would ultimately escape from anyways. So with that in mind, we don’t want to try to express any more what this topic means to us with words but show you with the images created by 20 creative photographers from around the world. From double and long exposures to cyanotypes and film soup, the following artists are working experimental photographers who plan to be in attendance at Experimental Photography Festival 2021 in Barcelona this July. Get a glimpse into their world by visiting each of their links to see even more of their work!
20 EXPERIMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHERS FROM EXP.21
“Alchemography” by Alexandros Kantoros
Artist: Alexandros Kantoros | Location: Greece
Favorite Techniques: Multiple Exposures and Digital Negatives | Link: @mikadoro13
“Untitled” by Mai De Alba
Artist: Mai De Alba | Location: Mexico
Favorite Techniques: Digital Photography and Manipulation | Link: @mmm.aa.i
“Paesaggi Immaginari” by Felicita Russo
Artist: Felicita Russo | Location: Italy
Favorite Techniques: Light Painting and Cameraless Photography on Instant Film | Link: @felicitarusso
“Leurs territoires intérieurs” by Nathalie Hannecart & Mélanie Patris
Artist: Nathalie Hannecart & Mélanie Patris Location: Belgium | Favorite Techniques: Pinhole and Liquid Emulsion | Link: @hannecartnathalie
“Untitled” by Karen Rohee
Artist: Karen Rohee | Location: France
Favorite Techniques: Home Development and Cross Processing | Link: @km_analog
“Reverie” by Clare Marie Bailey
Artist: Clare Marie Bailey | Location: United Kingdom | Favorite Techniques: Manipulated Polaroids | Link: @claremariebailey
“Graphic resistance. Home remedies for corporal diaspora” by Piròmana d'Argos
Artist: Piròmana d'Argos | Location: Spain
Favorite Techniques: Performance, Video Art, and Found Footage | Link: @suskeda
“Untitled” by Carlos Erices Godoy
Artist: Carlos Erices Godoy | Location: Chile
Favorite Techniques: Pinhole and Historical Processes | Link: @fotoalquimia
“Rosa blanca” by Kimberly Halyburton
Artist: Kimberly Halyburton | Location: Chile
Favorite Techniques: Cyanotype and Chlorophyll Prints | Link: @kimsophie_
“The Broken Body” by Célica Veliz
Artist: Célica Veliz | Location: Argentina
Favorite Techniques: Pinhole and Radiographic Film | Link: @celicaveliz
“Faceless Collage” by Erin Delsigne
Artist: Erin Delsigne | Location: USA
Favorite Techniques: Mosaic and Collages using Polaroids | Link: @filmcollageartist
“Untitled” by Ergül Karagözoğlu
Artist: Ergül Karagözoğlu | Location: Turkey
Favorite Techniques: Gum Bichromate and Cyanotypes | Link: @elykara
“KHROMA 03” by Fanny Genty
Artist: Fanny Genty | Location: France
Favorite Techniques: Experimental Polaroid and Image Manipulation | Link: @fanny.genty
Solarigraphy Annalema by Maciej Zapiór and Łukasz Fajfrowski
Artist: Maciej Zapiór | Location: Czech Republic Favorite Techniques: Analog Solarigraphy and Analemmas | Link: www.analemma.pl
“Passenger” by Kelli M. Perletti
Artist: Kelli M. Perletti | Location: USA
Favorite Techniques: Platinum Palladium and Tape Image Transfer | Link: @K.M.Perletti
“Nar. Alegorias de la luz” by Deneb Martos
Artist: Deneb Martos | Location: Spain
Favorite Techniques: Cameraless Chemigrams and Cyanotypes | Link: @denebmar
“FfotoRenga 2020” by Kate Woodward & David Sinden
Artist: Kate Woodward & David Sinden | Location: United Kingdom | Favorite Techniques: Experimental Photography | Link: @kwoodentop
“Sangre. Contar nuestra historia” by Mariana Manuela Bellone
Artist: Mariana Manuela Bellone | Location: Argentina | Favorite Techniques: Documentary and Experimental Photography | Link: @terrorluzdia
“Avale et recrache” by Lucy Onzon
Artist: Lucy Onzon | Location: France | Favorite Techniques: Chemical Soup and Emulsion Polaroid Lifts | Link: @aknifeintheart
“Untitled” by Vera and Patrice Baunov
Artist: Vera and Patrice Baunov | Location: Germany | Favorite Techniques: Expired Film, Emulsion Lift, and Cyanotype | Link: @_baunovart_
ABOUT THE EXPERIMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL 2021
Every January, the international community of experimental photographers pilgrim to Barcelona to share, learn, and have a lot of fun! EXP.21 is a festival organized by Experimentalphotofestival, a non-profit cultural association crated by created by Laura Ligari and Pablo Giori that aims to create, promote and disseminate experimental photography in all its forms. EXP. 21 International Festival on Experimental Photography is happening in Barcelona, January 14-17th, 2021. Learn more about it by visiting their website or reading our founder Michael Behlen’s report on 2020’s festival here!
Laura Ligari has a degrees in language, art, and culture, and is a 95% self-taught graphic designer and photographer. She is a feminist and has a Ph.D. in falling asleep soon. She has Italian origins and a feeling of not belonging to any territory. She is a pizza lover and Facebook hater.
Pablo Giori is a the cultural manager of EXP.21 and is passionate about both historical and experimental photography. He has a Ph.D. in contemporary history and is an unexpressed desires facilitator and a civil engineer of unknown bridges and roads.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Behlen is a photography enthusiast from Fresno, CA. He works in finance and spends his free time shooting instant film and backpacking in the California wilderness, usually a combination of the two. He has been published, been interviewed, and been reviewed in a quantity of magazines and online publications, from F-Stop and Blur magazine to the Analog Talk Podcast. He loves the magic sensuality of instant film: its saturated, surreal colors; the unpredictability of the medium; it’s addictive qualities as you watch it develop. He is the founder of Analog Forever Magazine. Connect with Michael Behlen on his Website and on Instagram!
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