Bubble Gum Pop
Hand-colored Polaroid Transfer
Polaroid transfer is a photographic image-transfer process which uses instant film. The process gains its name from the Polaroid brand film, when Fuji brand film is used the process may be called Fuji transfer but is more commonly known as emulsion transfer.
“Bubble Gum Pop” Hand-Colored Polaroid Transfer, 2018
“With more and more accessibility to photography, photos became less and less precious. They weren’t treated as this very special, rare, once in a lifetime occasion...from this newfound attitude, the idea of snapshots was born. ”
Polaroids would have never even been relevant if it were not for the development of the personal camera and later development of the art of the snapshot. The personal camera changed the way we photograph the world around us and more importantly who is the one photographing in it. In, 1888 George Eastman introduced the Kodak camera (an earlier version of the Brownie), which was a small handheld box. And, for $25 you could be the photographer! It came preloaded with 100 shots and the Kodak logan reading, “You press the button, we do the rest.”
Bringing an affordable way to access photography to the masses changed the course of the medium. For one of the first times, people were unafraid to experiment with everyday moments- their kids at the beach, their cat pouncing on a toy, their everyday chores- they could try and attempt to capture whatever without consequences. During this time it’s noted that humor started playing a big role in photography. Just as we have a meme culture online with certain visual jokes poking fun at pop culture etc and there were similar images being made back then as well. For instance, “...one trend had people posing with their heads poking through holes in newspapers, punning on breaking the news...” (Smithsonian).
