‘My work attempts to highlight the mistakes, mistranslations and loss of knowledge in the social documentation of Kaurna culture by European colonists.’
Kaurna artist James Tylor uses the historical 19th century photographic process of the Becquerel daguerreotype with the aid of modern technology to create contemporary images that re-contextualise the representation of Australian society and history. Photography was historically used to document First Nations Peoples and the European colonisation of Australia.
Here, James takes us through the process of creating The Darkness of Enlightenment, his new series of daguerreotypes for Ceremony that explores 19th century European recordings of Kaurna language and culture during the British colonisation of the Kaurna nation in South Australia.
1. Exposing the silver plate to iodine gas to make it light sensitive.
James Tylor, Kaurna people, in his studio, work in progress, Kamberri/Canberra, 2021 © the artist
2. Exposing the daguerreotypes using the contact printing method.
James Tylor, Kaurna people, in his studio, work in progress, Kamberri/Canberra, 2021 © the artist
3. The Becquerel developing method of exposing the daguerreotype in the UV light of the sun.
James Tylor, Kaurna people, in his studio, work in progress, Kamberri/ Canberra, 2021 © the artist
4. Heating the daguerreotype with a blowtorch during the gold guilding to stablise the image.
James Tylor, Kaurna people, in his studio, work in progress, Kamberri/ Canberra, 2021 © the artist
5. Heating the silver plate during the gold gilding process.
James Tylor, Kaurna people, in his studio, work in progress, Kamberri/ Canberra, 2021 © the artist
6. Inspecting the finished daguerreotype, before sealing the image behind museum glass.
James Tylor, Kaurna people, in his studio, work in progress, Kamberri/ Canberra, 2021 © the artist.
7. Sealing the silver plate of the daguerreotype behind glass.
James Tylor, Kaurna people, in his studio, work in progress, Kamberri/ Canberra, 2021 © the artist.
8. Looking at the polished silver plates.
James Tylor, Kaurna people, in his studio, work in progress, Kamberri/ Canberra, 2021 © the artist.
See James Tylor's series of daguerreotypes on display in the 4th National Indigenous Art Triennial: Ceremony 26 Mar – 31 Jul 2022.
