Constanza Isaza Martinez’s work draws inspiration from research into the history of the photographic medium, particularly nineteenth-century photographic printing techniques. The images remain photographic due to the processes and chemicals used, but also differ from more familiar forms of photography because they are made without cameras or negatives. The resulting works are abstract, unique pieces: without a negative, they cannot be reproduced. They explore the expressive potential of photography, focusing on the surface of the print rather than the picture beyond or behind this surface, and paring down the medium to its most essential components: light and chemistry.
Constanza Isaza Martinez is a visual artist, researcher, curator and educator based in London. She received her BA in Photographic Arts from the University of Westminster in 2007, and her MA in History of Art from the Courtauld Institute in 2012. She co-owns Lux Darkroom, where she teaches historical photographic processes.