Experiments with process. The Khmer Legacy

In the days of Polaroid I used to enjoy playing with emulsion lifts and transfers. So, this is the first in a series of experimental pieces where I am using an acrylic gel to transfer photographic prints from their paper base to different surfaces (here it is an aluminium sheet... although one cannot really tell by looking at this photograph) and then further manipulate the image.

In this case the photograph is of skulls of the victims of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, which I took during a recent visit. After transfering the photo to the aluminium plate and carefully removing the photograph's paper substrate, I am starting to investigate how the new surface responds to marks/drawing using pencil and chalk pastel. This is my very first attempt and its early days but I think that eventually I may be able to do something interesting with it. The next phase will be to see how well it responds to using colour, maybe Copic marking pens or a water colour wash. Will keep you posted...

Cambodia: Security Office 21

(Click on the images to see a larger view.) 

Storage room debris - Silver Gelatin print, edition of 10

Interrogation room - Silver Gelatin print, edition of 10

Victims of the genocide, Khmer Rouge photographer, Nhem En's 'portraits' - Silver Gelatin print, edition of 10

The Khmer Rouge Security Office 21 (S-21) was housed in the former Tuol Sleng Prey High school from April 1975 until the Vietnamese drove the Khmer Rouge out in 1979. Between 17000 and 20000 prisoners were held and interrogated there, although former guards claim up to 30000. After interrogation, those that were still alive were taken to the notorious killing fields for execution.

OF THE TOTAL NUMBER WHO ENTERED THE FACILITY ONLY 12 PRISONERS ARE KNOWN TO HAVE SURVIVED!

Meticulous in their documentation, the Khmer Rouge photographed inmates and some 6000 negatives have survived since 1979. Many of the prisoner photographs were taken by Khmer Rouge photographer Nhem En and can be seen at the S-21 photo archive website. 

The Khmer Legacy

The Khmer Legacy - Polaroid Spectra instant prints
(click on image to see a larger view)

A small body of work that I shot in Cambodia with my Minolta Pro camera which uses the, now defunct, Polaroid Spectra film. I really like the imperfections and color casts that Polaroid Spectra produced. Generally I prefered using it for night shots but for some reason the film I was using when I was at Angkor (and then in Phnom Penh) had a bit of a green cast. Probably due to it being expired and  then fried at several airport x-ray machines.


These images were all taken either at Angkor, home of the mighty Khmer empire , which at its peak stretched across Laos, Thailand, Burma, Southern Vietnam and Malaysia. Others were taken in the notorious Khmer Rouge interrogation centre housed in what was once Tuol Sleng Prey High School, but is better known as S-21. Of the between 17 000 to 20 000 suspects that went into S-21 between 1975 and 1979, only a dozen are known to have survived.