Sometimes Memories Fail Me

Artist Statement: While creating this piece, I wanted to convey a sense of nostalgia and memory through the sepia tones of the Van Dyke Brown process. In the photo, my subject is faced away to create a feeling of slowly forgetting someone when they’re gone. Memory fades over time, until only the knowledge of their being remains.

Van Dyke Brown is a 19th-century photographic printing process known for its rich brown tones and handcrafted quality. Using light-sensitive iron and silver salts, images are printed by placing a digital negative onto hand-coated paper and exposing it to ultraviolet light. Each print is developed through a series of water and chemical baths, resulting in a unique final image.
In working with this alternative process, students move beyond digital workflows and engage directly with the physical act of image-making. The process requires patience, experimentation, and careful attention to materials, while also introducing students to the historical foundations of photography.
Each print reflects both the image and the process behind it—embracing variation, imperfection, and the expressive potential of photographic craft.