Andreea-Mihaela Andrei
Andreea-Mihaela Andrei
POLAROID PROJECT. INSTANT PEOPLE
Publisher: Blurb.com
First Edition
Pages: 28
Soft Cover
2017
From the artist:
"We are sucked in by social media, internet and smartphones. We forgot how a real analogue photography looks or smells like and how many emotions we can live, how many memories we can recall from a physical photograph, now we just poses huge stocks of digital memories, which may disappear in the blink of an eye. I want to bring back the instant analogue photography into the art scene. It’s always a good idea to go back where it all (almost) started.
I want to make people understand that we still need analogue photography, maybe now more than ever. Everyone can own a digital camera and take pictures. But the beauty of analogue photography is that it gets you closer to the material, the real and palpable, in the face of the illusionary pixels. We shouldn't fade in technology, we shouldn't lose our humanity, I think it's our duty to take care of that. I think analogue photography is a part of that.
I took those photographs because I felt like I need to document those people in a beautiful way, and that was to use my two Polaroid Cameras and try to do some magic with them.
It’s more a personal project as well because I’m a very shy person and an introvert even though I choose to have a job that involves lots of people and basically strangers where you have to get to know them. So in a way it helped me personally to build up my confidence in talking with people outside my social circle and just to find out that at a level we can relate even though we never spoken in real life. I’ve chosen people from my social media account and just popped the question to them.
The project it's formed of 26 black and white analog portraits made with two Polaroid cameras ( Polaroid 600 Spirit Camera and a Polaroid 636 Close-up ). I chose to make this portraits in b&w analog photographs because I think that when you want to intensify the feelings and emotions you can feel by looking at a photograph it's by being in a black and white portrait. I chose the analog/instant method because I could document the life and stories of people I've met and get to know them a little bit more than just a facebook/instagram post."
It’s more a personal project as well because I’m a very shy person and an introvert even though I choose to have a job that involves lots of people and basically strangers where you have to get to know them. So in a way it helped me personally to build up my confidence in talking with people outside my social circle and just to find out that at a level we can relate even though we never spoken in real life. I’ve chosen people from my social media account and just popped the question to them.
The project it's formed of 26 black and white analog portraits made with two Polaroid cameras ( Polaroid 600 Spirit Camera and a Polaroid 636 Close-up ). I chose to make this portraits in b&w analog photographs because I think that when you want to intensify the feelings and emotions you can feel by looking at a photograph it's by being in a black and white portrait. I chose the analog/instant method because I could document the life and stories of people I've met and get to know them a little bit more than just a facebook/instagram post."
Book review by Dana Stirling |
Andreea-Mihaela Andrei has created a charming little book titled “Polaroid Project. Instant People.” Where she documents and snaps polaroid of people, sometimes strangers, in black and white. Andreea talks about this book being her way to celebrate and share analog photography. In today’s smartphone driven society we hardly see polaroid’s, and if we do, it is within or a tight circle of die-hard photographers or in a very trendy way. Andreea seeks to nightlight the notion of memories and documentation that is special to these unique camera and film – the Polaroid.
There is something very charming about this book. Although very small in size and pages, there is something very sweet about it. The book has a feeling of a genuine interest in the people who are documented. There is a level of care and compassion towards them which comes across in the photos.
I think one thing that the book has that is really great is the text. Each text is specific to the person photographed and it adds both information but also a unique POV on this person. I think the text is a great addition.
I do think the book design could be slightly better. Books are a very important tool in photography and in culture in general. I believe a book should not only be a vassal for these photographs, but should elevate them to another level of experience. For me the book fell short in the design aspect, even though it will not take away from the overall project and images.
I hope you consider getting a copy of this book for yourself and add it to your library by contacting the artist personally via her website.
