Replica Backdrop, circa 1962, 2024.
Dye sublimation, polyester.
Dye sublimation, polyester.
Once opulent, black velvet drapes shroud the windows.
"I'd set up the backdrops, props, and lighting, and load the film into the 8x10" plate camera. When the client arrived, I'd position them against the backdrop. Then he'd arrive to press the button."
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"I'd set up the backdrops, props, and lighting, and load the film into the 8x10" plate camera. When the client arrived, I'd position them against the backdrop. Then he'd arrive to press the button."
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Located within the photography studio of Studio Reproductions, this work investigates the digital expansion of a small fragment—in this case, a tiny JPEG—into a highly embellished yet imperfect replica. By pushing the latest AI upscaling software to its limits, the system begins to leave its own unique marks, situating its digital authorship firmly within the present.
Beneath its flat veneer, digital artefacts collide with gathered ruching, mimicking—but never fully mirroring—the original draping. The irregular folds of the source image interplay with the real-life fluctuations of the satin backdrop, transforming the scenery itself into a self-aware subject. In doing so, the backdrop gestures to its own place within the layered and constructed history of the studio.