Lou Hazelwood | Archetypes of Random | April 2024

 with sculptural contributions by Sabine Jeanne Bieli

Preview
Thursday 25th April 2024 | 6-9pm

‘Archetypes of Random’ explores the nature of randomisation, happenstance and abstraction by working with damaged 35mm film stock whilst using the alchemical processes of darkroom photography. Using long exposure photographs to abstract our understanding of an image, Lou also chemically alters the expected outcomes by using techniques embedded within the hand-processing of film.

Being unable to predict the outcome of the process is central to this work, which lends itself to connections being made between images. Hazelwood finds this an optimistic way of working and enthuses her interest in many analogue alchemical processes which she has explored since the 1980’s.

The circular redactions present in these works can be seen as markers mapping out our readings of the work. They become autopoeitic diagrams that generate their own systems and content whilst avoiding the creation of their own narrative; this begins to explain the title ‘Archetypes of Random’. These diagrams break down our understanding of the photographic image and the processes lead us to explore abstract methods of understanding them. 

We have been invited to exhibit the outcome of these experimental works in Blank_ Gallery at Leeds City College

Lou has invited Swiss artist Sabine Jeanne Bieli to exhibit with her. Sabine’s use of an early photographic technique taken into the 3D realm utilising a circular void connects to the ideas explored by Hazelwood: the understanding of photography and moments when light meets matter - luminosity.