The use of photogram techniques as a means of documentation of historical objects and its application as artwork

Abstract

Fragmented Spectres is a body of photographic work interpreting the archaeological findings in The Rocks, Sydney. This work, created by the co-author of this paper, was showcased as a three-month site-specific exhibition at The Rocks Discovery Museum. The work explores the materiality of objects and their reinterpretation. In this case, the objects used were interpreted as large scale photograms of bottles and other vernacular objects found as part of an archaeological dig in the city of Sydney. These interred objects, found long buried in a disused well, could be regarded as vestiges of a country’s colonial past and consequential European settlement. This paper analyses the techniques used by the artist to capture the objects from a colonial past, and how these have become works of art which allow for a creative interpretation of archaeological science.