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Ten Xerox transfers by Natalie Bradford

Natalie Bradford

I explore the ideas of memory, absence, mortality, and the passage of time in my prints. Our memories are naturally inconsistent and fleeting; It’s impossible to remember everything in our lives clearly, especially as we age. Every time we recall a moment in time, the memory of that moment loses its “truth” as our brains start to fill in the blanks with other memories or narratives that aren’t consistent with what really happened.

My artistic process starts with identifying my sources; I pull my inspiration from family photo albums dating back to the 1950s and 60s. I make photocopies of the pictures and physically cut out pieces of the image to strip it of its details, which speaks to absence, the mortality of people/places, and the fleetingness of memories. I end my process by transferring the scraps onto a new piece of paper using lacquer thinner, a photo transfer chemical. By doing this process, my prints become immensely abstracted from their original start as a photograph, which show the inconsistent and ephemeral side of our memories.

Natalie Bradford - xerox transfer
Natalie Bradford - xerox transfer
Natalie Bradford - xerox transfer
Natalie Bradford - xerox transfer
Natalie Bradford - xerox transfer
Natalie Bradford - xerox transfer
Natalie Bradford - xerox transfer
Natalie Bradford - xerox transfer
Natalie Bradford - xerox transfer
Natalie Bradford - xerox transfer
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Natalie Bradford

Natalie was born in Metro Detroit, Michigan and currently lives and works in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She is currently pursuing a BFA with an emphasis in printmedia at Western Michigan University. She is interested in exploring the passage of time and familial relationships through shared memories and stories with loved ones. Her work has been both locally at in notable the Lansing Art Gallery and Education Center and online through PxP Contemporary gallery. She has also been published in the contemporary art magazine Create! Magazine’s “Studio Sunday” section, and many international zines. More of her work can be found at https://nataliebradford75.wixsite.com/mysite.

Author: Natalie Bradford Tags: collage Category: Visual Art and Visual Poetry December 13, 2019

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Empty Mirror

Established in 2000 and edited by Denise Enck, Empty Mirror is an online literary magazine that publishes new work each Friday.

Each week EM features several poems each by one or two poets; reviews; critical essays; visual art; and personal essays.

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