Andy Mattern

Hiding on the backs of some long-forgotten photographs are “ghost” images, traces of other pictures that pressed against the surface for decades. In fact, these apparitions are a side effect of platinum, which reacts with other paper and leaves a mirror image. Although prized for its permanence and rich tones, platinum photography fell out of use before WWI because it was needed to make explosives. This destructive ability is the same power that accidentally produces ghost images. In this project, I reanimate found ghost images as modern platinum prints, returning them to their original form.