CAROL ROULLARD
Carol Roullard’s passion for polymorphs elevates crystalline chemistry to aleatoric alchemy. Drawing from her childhood desire to harness and hold the essence of nature’s emotional impact, she uses photography as her medium and approaches it with unyielding devotion to the highest aesthetic of the form.
Focusing in on the unobstructed truth revealed at the near-molecular level Roullard has mastered the process of nucleation and growth of one of the more structurally complex manifestations of the physical universe: crystals. But her microscopic macrocosms go beyond the linear symmetry of mere snowflakes, and mineral-based formations.At the nano-metric level, crystallization enjoys the freedom to propagate subtle, sultry curves, and sensuous waveforms redolent of other-worldly geological formations, By employing polarization filters the chromatic permutations increase manifold often escalating her imagery to the realm of psychedelia.
From even a cursory inquiry into the about of this alternative medium artist/scientist/inventor it becomes clear that every enthralling moment in Roullard’s creative journey propels her spirit ever closer to aleatoric transcendence.
One day I grew crystals on a slide and placed it under a microscope’s lens. The crystal’s radiance, intense iridescent colors, and unusual patterns appeared on the small microscope slide. Some mimicked land formations or seascapes while others invoked the viewer’s imagination. I was amazed. Each slide contained incredible diversity. Creating and viewing these microscopic crystals opened up a whole new world of extraordinary scenes that were previously unimaginable. Each photo is unique and will never occur again in nature.
Many steps go into creating a micro-crystal art piece. Most crystals must be created more than once before they form a shape that is photogenic. Each time I grow crystals and place the slide on the microscope’s stage, new dazzling sights spring forth through the lens. I never know what I’m going to find. Moving the microscope knobs ever so slightly, viewing through the eyepiece, applying just the right amount of polarized light is a process, which can be time-consuming and frustrating. Many times the crystals do not yield an image that will elicit emotion, and I have to start again. But when I find the perfect combination of patterns, textures and beautiful iridescent vibrant colors, I catch my breath.
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