2022-05-21
Sarah Chen
Design Dispatch, New York
Rosie Clements' unique photographic process involves printing images onto bubble wrap, creating textured and interactive pieces that challenge traditional notions of art and materiality. By harnessing the tactile qualities of bubble wrap, Clements produces captivating works that invite viewers to engage with the physicality of their surroundings.
Bumpy Surfaces and Fragmented Forms: Rosie Clements' Exploration of Tactile Photography
Like squishy, tactile pixels, Rosie Clements' photographs are an immersive experience that invites the viewer to touch, explore, and interact. By printing her images on bubble wrap, she creates bumpy 3D forms that defy traditional notions of photography as a flat, two-dimensional medium. This tactile approach to art-making is particularly striking in today's digital age, where screens dominate our lives and physical connection is increasingly rare.
Clements' fascination with the tactile began during her time at graduate school, where she had access to a small Roland UV printer in her university's print lab. The device allowed her to experiment with innovative printing techniques, including printing on unusual surfaces like bubble wrap. She quickly became proficient with the machine, and soon discovered that this bumpy, textured surface was the perfect canvas for her artistic vision.
As one approaches Clements' photographs from a distance, they reveal themselves as detailed, complex images that reward close inspection. However, upon closer examination, these same forms appear fragmented and abstract, their textures and surfaces obscuring any clear definition or meaning. This paradox is at the heart of Clements' practice, inviting viewers to reevaluate their relationship with digital media and the sensory experiences it provides.
