Illuminadong Paglaho

Photography without a camera

Created with Matthew Mangulabnan during an exchange between OCAD University and De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde, Illuminadong Paglaho began with the basic elements of photography: light, a negative, and a light-sensitive surface in this case the viewer's eyes. We approached these elements without using a camera, combining digital negatives with experimental negatives made by altering the transparency of the capiz. I pierced, sanded, painted, and blocked sections of the shell to control how much light could pass through.

The images of eyes and hands grew from conversations about what connected us as art students and what remained different between us. Eyes refer to seeing and photographic vision, while hands refer to the physical act of making. The capiz window grounded the work in the Philippines, while Matthew’s fading acetate negatives reflected the temporary nature of the exchange and the personal meaning the collaboration held for us.