Clay, stone, sticks, frond stem of mamaku, water, light, 87 centimeters x 2.5 meters, Archival Inkjet Print, 2023 Photo: Madison Emond
Madison Emond from Rhode Island has been building pinhole cameras from clay in Wellington’s Kaiwharawhara stream.
Emond has been an artist in residence at Whiti O Rehua School of Art this year, as a Fulbright scholar Massey University College of Creative Arts.
Her photographic work is a vessel for the natural environment, capturing life by and under water by wrapping film around glow worms and river stones. Emond has spent many hours wading into rivers and bays using silver gelatin paper and colour film.
First Kaiwharawhara Awa pinhole camera, Archival Inkjet Print, 2023 Photo: Madison Emond
Back home in the US, Madison began her journey into cameraless photography by building a Clamcam. A handmade rig of eight quahog shells with each clam transformed into a pinhole camera.
Culture 101’s Maggie Tweedie spoke with Madison Emond about her unique creative process and why she chose to move away from traditional photographic practice.
Emond’s exhibition The River Sees is at Twentysix gallery in Newtown, Wellington from 11–15 October 2023
Sand, soil, stone, sticks, frond stem of mamaku, water, light two, 87 centimeters x 2.5 meters, Archival Inkjet Print, 2023 Photo: Madison Emond
