In terms of alternative photographic processes and painting on photosensitive emulsions to form symbols and motifs, this work follows on from Aporian Emulsions.

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Around 1993 I began work on the first alternative process images - this work progressed to a free form painting of the emulsion on the paper as a series of motifs. Some of these motifs incorporated alchemic symbols.

I am always amazed how forces of the universe materialize relevant resources.

During the period that I was using these symbols in the work I was walking along the beach at Whareakeake (Murdering Bay) and came across an old coat with an even older book sitting on it - it was wet with mist and or the last tide and I took it home and dried it out. The book turned out to be Hermetic Arcanum - printed in 1892 from the original text of 1623.

While the text was quite incredible to read, I did not look to incorporate it directly into the work until 2004. Here is a PDF of the text - (many thanks to Moira who typed out the entire text)