KOREYPHOTO - POLAROIDS

Fall 2023

My history with Polaroids is extensive, I've shot hundreds of them, researched their conception and then...

This was my first time having a solo exhibition of any kind and it was like way cool and fun. Huge shout-out to Hamilton at TILT Institute (And Hannah for telling me about them) for asking me if I wanted to do their Fall 2023 member showcase, literally the day of meeting for the first time lol. When I heard "Showcase" and saw the things that they did in the past, I knew I wanted it to be something bigger, something that had a little more "Umph!" to it all. So I pitched the idea of displaying a curated selection from my Polaroid binder I've been filling up since 2019, which they were like "YES" and I was like "OKAY LET'S GO".

Flipping through all the Polaroids I've taken since then, I really wanted to tell somewhat of a story, displaying all the different genres of photography and eras I've gone through. It all started with a photo of my Mother in 2019, taken on a Polaroid 600 JobPro, my first Polaroid camera. From then on it was truly on, the Polaroids kept coming, A year later I got a SX-70 land camera and I fell in love with taking portraits on it. The SX-70 has this particular look to it that is timeless but modern, tack sharp but dreamy, the duality of it all.

The hallway of TILT was mine to showcase my instant photographs, it was a lot of hallway but I sat and figured out the layout, themes, framing, hanging, it was so interesting putting things together

This was my first time engaging with a wider community outside of social media lol. it was daunting, a little scary but I pulled something I was proud of together

The first Polaroid. Circa 2019.

On the wall I even displayed my "Failures", the roids that just so happen to not come out as intended but have a value in that they were all a part of the process. I cannot neglect the unknown, the things that come about because of happenstance, mechanical errors, chemistry. All of the science and mechanisms that make up the experience of shooting Polaroids plays a role in the prints that make it and don't. How can the failures be ignored?

The Polaroid is something besides an "Easy", "Instant gratification" way of photography, it has its own science, its own mechanics.

There is something very powerful, timeless, nuanced, about the classic square image encased in a white frame.

And I'm continuing to figure them out.

What was very interesting was on the day of, people were there. Mainly for a opening of TILT's major exhibition (Jay Simple: Where The Young Bols Rumble) but then people began coming into the hallway and stopping to look at the things I had on display, taking photos, talking. It was kinda weird? Like um no big deal, I didn't even tell my family about it (whoops) but it was the first time me connecting with a community in this new way.

Thank you TILT and the folks holding it down over there especially Hamilton!!!!

Thank you to everyone I ever took a photo of ever.

Thank you for the people who visited, hung out with me, looked, talked, gandered. Y'all still inspire me to this day.

Thank you for showing me such care.

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