Penicillium

A negative film consists of a film base and a light-sensitive emulsion, which are bonded together by a binding agent. The light-sensitive material is made from collagenous animal tissue, specifically gelatin. The image is created on this emulsion layer, which is exposed and projected onto the gelatin, capturing a motif, a memory. Improper storage, excessive humidity, or high heat can cause negatives to become infested with bacteria or mold. If fungus forms a layer of mold on the gelatin, it produces an enzyme that allows it to consume the emulsion as food. The fungus grows on this new breeding ground, consumes the light-sensitive chemicals, and causes irreversible damage to the film. In my pictures, you can see that Penicillium, a type of brush mold, was able to spread on the gelatin layer as a nutrient medium, destroying it over an extended period of time. 35mm analogue film – biologically altered.