The Never Taken Images

The Never-Taken Images is a long-term project by Swiss photographers Françoise and Daniel Cartier, collecting unfixed photographic papers, glass negatives, and films from 1880 to 1990. The project is displayed in installations titled "Wait and See," allowing viewers to perceive a kind of reality for themselves. The book features the test catalog of over 900 different papers and photosensitive supports, offering an almost real impression of their formats, colors, and materiality. Essays by Kathrin Schönegg, Thilo Koenig, and Christophe Brandt supplement the images and place the project in the art historical and technological context of abstract media art.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 09 September 2022
Publisher: Scheidegger und Spiess AG, Verlag

The Never-Taken Images is a captivating long-term project by Swiss photographers Françoise and Daniel Cartier, which has been in pursuit since 1998. Their extensive collection encompasses a vast array of unfixed photographic papers, glass negatives, and films, primarily dating from 1880 to 1990. These samples are meticulously mounted and showcased, allowing them to undergo a gradual transformation as they are exposed to light during various exhibitions. Instead of fixating on static images, the Cartiers' installations, titled "Wait and See," invite viewers to experience a sense of reality for themselves.

The book presents an extensive test catalogue, showcasing around 900 different papers and photosensitive supports. These facsimiles provide an almost authentic representation of their formats, colors, and materiality, offering a remarkable insight into the artistic realm. In addition to the visual content, the book includes insightful essays by Kathrin Schönegg, a photo historian and curator, Thilo Koenig, a scholar of art history and critic, and Christophe Brandt, a former director of the Institute for the Conservation of Photographs at the University of Neuchâtel. These essays contextualize the "Wait and See" project within the art historical and technological context of abstract media art, providing valuable perspectives.

Furthermore, The Never-Taken Images pays homage to the industrially manufactured photo-sensitive support, representing the long and significant pre-digital period in the history of photography. The project encompasses a wide range of formats, from large-format negatives to smaller-sized papers, reflecting the diverse practices and technologies employed during this era. The book is available in English, French, and German, making it accessible to a global audience interested in exploring the rich tapestry of photographic history.

Dimension: 305 x 240 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783039420919