Evgenia Efstathiou
A Month In Pills
Gold Toned for 4 min.
Exposure in the sun for 30 min.
Exposure in the sun for 20 min.
Potassium Iodide fixer, Exposure in UV box for 10 min.
Positive
Potassium Bromide fixer, Exposure in UV box for 8 min
Gold toned for 8 min.
Negative
Exposure in UV box for 8 min.
Exposure in UV box for 10 min.
In A Month In Pills, I documented how many pill containers I use during a time period of 31 days. At the age of 18, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune neurological disease that affects both my optic nerves. Now, 5 years later and with the help of immunosuppressant medication, I have managed to control the frequency of attacks. Nevertheless, recurrent attacks have left a permanent damage on both my optic nerves and the quality of my vision depends on the recurrence of future episodes.
On one level, this project aims at documenting the number of pills that I put in my body every day. Using a different historical photographic process for each container, I made 10 different photogenic drawings, each with a unique look and durability in time. On a more abstract level, I also aim at depicting the uncertainty regarding the state of vision in the future. Using different chemicals that have different stabilities, some of my prints tend to fade with time, hence mirroring the degrading effect of my disease on my vision.
