Amazogramas

Photograms shot at night in the Amazon jungle of Peru deploying 30 meters long photosensitive paper between the dense foliage, which is printed directly to paper with a small flash light and full moon. These frames were revealed with river water.

"A storm, whether literal or symbolic, is an essential part of a larger process. It discharges accumulated energy, not as destruction for its own sake, but as a force seeking to restore balance. In this way, even turmoil serves a purpose – one of renewal and equilibrium. The image presented here captures this very essence: a thirty-metre-long frame of an Amazonian palm tree lying on the bed of the Madre de Dios River.

What makes this piece unique is that it was created in collaboration with nature itself. As the artist, Huarcaya served merely as a medium – nature, as the true subject, took a photograph of herself. While the artist and his team were exposing the roll of photosensitive paper placed beneath the fallen palm tree, using only a small handheld flash, a tropical storm suddenly erupted. Four flashes of lightning illuminated the entire landscape, imprinting their energy onto the scene and onto the paper. At that moment, nature took control.

The group were confronted with the limits of their own intervention – there was a force greater than them, imposing itself with undeniable presence. What could they do at such a moment? Accept that the exposure had been lost to this overwhelming energy or recognise that, after more than two years of seeking to capture visually the power and vitality of the Amazon, they had finally found the key? To work in the Amazon, they had to work with it, not despite it. They needed to develop a methodology where nature was not just an element of the process but a fundamental collaborator. This required embracing unpredictability – allowing accidents and the natural flow of events to become essential forces in shaping the frames. This thirty-metre frame is more than just an artwork created with nature; it was an immersive experience that positioned the group within the delicate balance of natural ecosystems.

As individuals, we are merely a small point within this vast equilibrium. Yet, as a society, we stand on the brink of disrupting balances that have been sustained for millions of years. If we fail to recognise this, storms will cease to be mere symbols of transformation – they will become harbingers of irreversible global chaos. This single image serves as a warning: if we do not foster a deep, empathetic connection with nature as a living subject – if we fail to respect both it and ourselves – a storm, whether natural or cultural, may ultimately end life as we know it."