Using the scanner instead of the photocopier resulted in a new series which built on my trials with the copier portraits, their harsh, forensic detail contrasting with the romantic ethereality of those images. Trying to get the maximum resolution resulted in extremely slow scanning speed which meant trying to keep very still bent over the machine for around four minutes! It made me think of the Victorian sitters for portrait photographs where the wet plate technology meant they often needed to have their heads clamped into place to keep them still enough for the slow shutter speeds to capture their likenesses without blurring. It also led to some inevitable movement and warping which inspired me to experiment with deliberate shifts of position and controlled distortion. These self portraits reflect unease with the ageing process - changes of perspective, altered body image and fear of physical decline bound up by the very idea of The Scan.
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