Disintegration

Disintegration is a project born from an initial lack of inspiration to create new work. Rather than picking up a camera to take new photographs, Digby chose to physically manipulate her archival images.

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Inspired by the well-known process of film soup, the developed negatives were boiled in different household liquids such as vinegar, wine, juice, and more. She would watch the emulsion layers peel away from the film base, before quickly removing the negative from the solution, allowing time for it to dry before re-scanning the negative. 

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As a result of these first experiments, Digby was able to study how each substance reacted with the chemical structure of the film. Giving her an insight into what might happen next time she boils a film with the same ingredients. However, this process was still impossible to predict and the vibrant colours and textures created by this aggressive boiling, were always a surprise.