Alchemistic Photography

After thirty years of working in darkrooms I have become allergic to photographic developer. They cause my hands to crack and bleed. If this is the effects that the chemicals are having on my skin what damage must they be causing if washed down a sink? This was the starting point for this proposal. ‘Can you make a plant based, locally sourced alternative to traditional photographic paper developer?’ That are less harmful, more sustainable and more accessible. Using the trial and error philosophy of the alchemists in their search to transmute lead into gold my aim is to use artistic experimentation to magically transform plants into a photographic developer. This guidebook is both research paper and artwork.