SX-70

I can remember the first time I used a Polaroid camera – it was way back in the late 1970’s, I was about seven or eight. We were at my uncle Mike’s house for some variety of family gathering, I’d like to say it was the Queen’s Silver Jubilee celebrations, but I don’t think it was? Anyway, I found my uncles freshly loaded instant camera and decided to channel what I now realise was my inner William Eggleston…ten shots of the carpet, my own feet, the ceiling light, other people’s feet, the buffet. As I recall, the only person who saw that body of work as art was my Mum. Uncle Micheal didn’t, Uncle Micheal went bat-shit crazy and sent me upstairs.

I’ve shot a lot of instant film over the years, with varying degrees of success – these shots were made with my latest acquisition, a 1970’s Polaroid SX-70 – 6 shots are from the first pack of film, published in the order they were made. (the latest incarnation of Polaroid film only has 8 shots, not 10). The two missing shots aren’t even artistically bad, they’re in the bin.