Polaroid Week: Laura Barth

Polaroid Week: Laura Barth by Michael HoneggerJune 3, 2025

©Laura Barth, Last Hike at Falls Lake

Polaroid photography, with its distinctive immediacy and nostalgic charm, has long captivated artists seeking to push the boundaries of image-making. This week we spotlight five innovative Polaroid artists whose diverse practices explore the full spectrum of the medium’s creative possibilities—from experimental manipulations and emulsion lifts to hand-altered prints and conceptual storytelling. Each brings a unique vision to the format, demonstrating that the instant photo is a dynamic and thriving alternative.

In a time marked by both global uncertainty and personal transformation,Laura Barth‘s project “Mythos and Manna”, a series of Polaroid-based works, emerges as an act of reflection, and alchemy. What Laura began as an instinctual response to emotional upheaval evolved into a tactile, meditative practice—one that bridges the psychological and the spiritual, the digital and the handmade. Her Polaroid work is reminiscent of the artistic work performed by pictorial photographers of the early twentieth century projecting a romanticism by utilizing the unpredictable technique of an emulsion lift to reveal her photographic hand. There is a certain irony in the fact that images stemming from painful memories and events can transform into objects of serenity and beauty. These images are physically altered, layered with hand-drawn gestures and natural elements. Imperfections—rips, folds, distortions—are not corrected but embraced, becoming integral to Laura’s storytelling. They speak to rupture and repair, to the beauty of letting go and the art of reimagining. Her images offer a space for reflection, connection, and the quiet power of reclaiming one’s story.

©Laura Barth, The Overlook

Laura describes her process:

“In the quiet aftermath of postpartum depression and onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I found myself suspended between two lives—the one I had left behind, and the one I was still learning to inhabit. This body of work was born from that liminal space: a series of visual revelations that blur the lines between memory, dream, grief, accountability, spirit, as well as the beauty of nature. What started as a raw, instinctual need for creative release during a time of profound personal upheaval has since grown into an evolving exploration of my psyche and spiritual journey, as well as alternative process photography itself.

©Laura Barth, The way was not closed

Many of these pieces began with an emotionally charged image from my past—often recovered from old cell phones, cameras, modeling proofs, or rolls of film. I reimagine these images by transforming them into Polaroids using the Polaroid Lab, then altering them further through the emulsion lift process. This hands-on, alchemical method allows me to physically manipulate the image—stretching, tearing, literally using a brush to “paint” the emulsion on paper—and incorporate hand-drawn elements and ephemeral botanical samples. My process often results in rips, bubbles, and imperfections that I welcome as part of the work. These “happy accidents” frequently reveal something unexpected—introducing textures, distortions, or moods that go beyond my original intent. What begins as a snapshot of a specific time or emotion dissolves and reforms into something altered—less literal, more intuitive.

©Laura Barth, When We Were in Love

Through this practice, I create a personal mythology: a visual archive of psychological landscapes, mystical encounters, and unresolved situations I continue to wrestle with or try to understand. The result is not just documentation, but transmutation—where old wounds are probed and profound moments are investigated with new light. These images become revelations, uncovering hidden truths and honoring the quiet ones that were always there.

©Laura Barth, Wildcat Rocks

Although deeply personal, I hope that viewers recognize fragments of their own stories within these works. In sharing my memories, I invite a shared witnessing—an exploration of how we process, reshape, and ultimately reclaim our experiences. “

©Laura Barth, Winter

Laura Barth is a self-taught lens-based artist based in the mountains of North Carolina.. Her primary media include analog and experimental photography, graphite, charcoal, watercolor, and hand-carved prints. Originally from Eau Claire, WI, Laura currently exhibits her work at Calendula gallery in St. Paul, MN and has had work awarded, published, and exhibited across the country. She currently serves as the Digital Media Consultant for Analog Forever Magazine.

Instagram: @_barth.vader_