Nadezda Nikolova-Kratzer: The Science of Who We Are
What does chemistry and metaphysics have in common with the art of photography? Let Nadezda Nikolova-Kratzer enlighten you.
There are a lot of people out there who love to argue that the art of photography does not exist, mainly because they believe that photography is less of an art form and more of a study in replication. I could argue against that belief right here and now, but it’ll take an entire essay and most of it won’t be PG, which is something I won’t deny. Another thing that no one can deny is the science of photography. From the basic but less widely known concept of a darkroom to the complicated but more commonplace information on digital processing, photography involves a lot of science and technology in its practice, its continued proliferation. Case in point: Nadezda Nikolova-Kratzer’s chosen medium, the collodion process.
The collodion process was invented, almost simultaneously, by Frederick Scott Archer and Gustave Le Gray in 1850. It’s one of those early photographic processes that most of us, including myself, actually know nothing about (at least this was true for me before I started doing my research), except maybe that because we haven’t heard of it growing up, it’s older than anything Polaroid. Without going too much into the technicalities of things, I’m just going to say that the inexpensive collodion process improves upon its two predecessors (the calotype process and the daguerreotype) by enabling unlimited number of prints from a single negative, creating sharpness and clarity that would be near impossible with paper negatives, and being much faster. Despite allowing photographers only a 10-minute window to complete the entire process, not to mention requiring a portable darkroom, the collodion process has become a favorite of a number of photographers due to its brand of aesthetics.
To Nadezda in particular, the distinct syntax of wet plate collodion allows her to experiment, pushing boundaries and breaking barriers, not only in painting inner landscapes and conjuring up moods and metaphors but also in everything else she most definitely deserves to call her own. “I welcome the challenge of confronting the technical aspects and I seek the suspense inherent in working with chemistry that is in a constant state of flux.”
Growing up between the former Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, and also Austria, Nadezda now lives and works in Lexington, Kentucky. Her vision as a photographer, an artist, an art scientist, involves contradictions and enlightenment, metaphysics in all of its glorious forms.
That’s definitely something this writer can appreciate, even latch on to. When two different things come together, the compromise is almost always beautiful. That holds true in Nadezda’s photography.
From still life to conceptual photography, landscapes to portraits, and even architectural and historical photographs, Nadezda harnesses the brilliance of the collodion process, emphasizing the subtle beauty of her chosen muse in black and white and downplaying the amount of time and effort the photographer spends in the scientific side of photography by bringing forth the main reason why each and every one of us know deep down in our heart of hearts that photography is a genuine art form.
Haunting, titillating, and genuine, Nadezda’s photography is in itself a statement of nostalgia, proving that while the past may be long gone, it’s still around us in some form or another. In this case, it’s who we are.
For more on Nadezda Nikolova-Kratzer’s artistic study of metaphysics, embrace the mystery of her website’s depths, open the virtual doors to her time-warped Facebook page, and remember to browse her limited edition prints on Etsy. Beauty like this, you never forget. You wouldn’t want to forget.
Would you like Parallel Planets to feature your work? Share your black & white planet through us! Our international call for creative contributions is always open — read the complete guidelines and requirements here.
