Kirlian Photography is a process that uses electricity rather than light to make contact images on photographic media. It was pioneered by the Russian-born inventor Semyon Kirlian in 1939 and was a tremendous phenomenon of the time. The process works by illuminating the electrical field around an object, which is recorded as multicolored emanations by the photographic film or paper. Many fringe scientific researchers believe these images to reveal the “biofield” or “aura” of the subject, which they think gives physical form to the etheric body. Many believe the image to be linked to the “life force” that surrounds each living thing. Some even use it to make health care decisions, detect deceptions or seek answers from the great beyond. The most well-known pop culture example of a Kirlian Photograph is an image of a glowing hand featured in the opening title sequence for the television show “The X-Files.”
This series of Kirlian Photographs examines the nature of food that we use as sustenance for our bodies. The images include both healthy food, such as bananas, apples, pears and peppers, and also common junk foods, such as Twinkies, doughnuts, Egg McMuffins, and Wonder Bread. By examining and analyzing the food we choose to ingest into our bodies, I hope to gain insight into our methods of sustenance and how it influences contemporary American culture.