What’s the Allure of Polaroid Art?

For several decades in the 1900s, Polaroid art was the mainstay for many families. 

Back in the day, people pulled out this fun, awkward-shaped camera and pushed a button. After a short whirring sound, a square, blank card popped out. Everyone stood around while waiting for the image to appear. 

This instant picture was a joy that soon turned into creative projects. We’re taking a step back into the photography time machine to understand how the allure of Polaroid art all began.

Let’s hit it!

The Early Years of Polaroid Art

The Polaroid Corporation, founded in 1937, began operations in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Their popular camera used the company’s trademark polarizing polymer film consisting of microscopic sulfate crystals that reacted to light. 

This new instant film revolutionized photography, making it accessible to the public. From the onset, the white-bordered, dark, and sometimes grainy images gained popularity with artists. They began manipulating the photos as they gradually emerged. 

The Polaroid camera became a quality product, not just a gadget. People realized they could use it to see the world. 

Polaroid art is an alternative photographic technique where the artist modifies the slowly developing picture. Photo alteration may involve one of three techniques: emulsion lift, Polaroid transfer, and SX-70 manipulation. 

Certain methods may involve using water to transfer the image to another medium, such as paper or wood. Artists will also peel apart the film early, pressing the negative onto a new surface. 

The SX-70 manipulation involves using tools to press into the developing image. In fact, this technique created the cover art for Peter Gabriel’s self-titled third album. While the film used in this method is no longer available, artists can still alter the newer medium similarly. 

When Did Polaroids Lose Popularity?

While Polaroids were fun to use, their expense and impracticality caused them to lose appeal. Eventually, by the late 1970s, 33mm film cameras gained popularity, delivering higher quality photos in greater quantity. All you had to do was take the film to the nearest Fotomat kiosk to get the pictures processed.

Once at the height of the film industry, Polaroid declared bankruptcy in 2001. The company struggled through several owners and announced the end of the cameras in 2008. 

Ultimately, even film, a stalwart for decades, gave way to the digital age. Today, you can take a photo to view immediately with the phone camera in your hand—instant gratification. 

The Modern Appeal of Polaroid Art

A toss-back to the nostalgic or a return to the slow surprise, Polaroid has a modern appeal. In 2017, the Impossible Project bought what was left of the instant photo company, rebranding it as Polaroid Originals. 

Analog photography became another tool in the digital world. Polaroid collaborated with big-name brands like Teva, FENDI, and Lacoste. Innovative ideas also led to the launch of the Polaroid Go, the smallest analog camera in the world. 

Who Are Some Famous Polaroid Artists?

Artistically manipulating Polaroid images adds yet another layer to the photographic intrigue. Artists continue to find new and innovative ways to build on these photos. Here are three of our favorites.

Lucas Samaras

Lucas Samaras’ life spans the ups and downs of the Polaroid phenomenon. Born in 1936, just before World War II, in Greece, he’s a surrealist artist currently residing in New Jersey. 

Samaras began experimenting with the Polaroid 360 camera in 1969. He melded a self-portrait and the abstract by manipulating the wet-dry emulsions with his fingertip. In 1996, Lucas got his first computer, which eventually led to his experimenting with printed texts. 

Photofictions (2003) is a series of distorted self-portraits with a psychedelic twist. 

Ellen Carey

US artist Ellen Carey is an educator, independent scholar, guest curator, photographer, and lens-based artist. Her unique experimental work spans several decades. 

Carey’s images depict reality. She attempts to reveal the subject matter’s true essence. Her combination of paint and collage reaches no limits. Photographs drag colors and express a progressive display of gradual gray shifts presented in a wall of blocks. 

Clothing company Dunhill has an exclusive collaboration with Carey. They’ve selected pieces from her existing Polaroid art catalog for reimagined bold prints in their new collection. 

Anika Neese

Anika Neese is a Polaroid artist in Germany. All her images tell a story as she encounters strangers and incorporates them into her art. She uses a unique process that involves long, double exposures. 

Perfectionism in photography bores Anika. The main themes in her Polaroid art are order, control, chaos, and isolation. Double exposures produce surreal and sometimes haunting images. Additionally, the use of sepia tones and washed-out colors are a throwback to the past. 

Where Can I See Polaroid Art?

Polaroid artists display their creations in galleries and art festivals. If you can’t make one near you, these online resources are a great source of inspiration.

The Polaroid Project Online

The Polaroid Project Online shares art and technology in an online exhibition. This presentation tells the story of the Polaroid company, including the revolutionary technology of its time. 

The project originated as a world tour before landing at the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 2019. A 3D virtual tour is available to view on the project’s website. It’s a fascinating display of unique Polaroid art. 

Constructs: Building Images with Instant Film

Analog Forever’s website highlights an online group exhibition, Constructs: Building Images with Instant Film. Artists from around the world submitted dynamic and inspiring compositions. 

Scrolling through the Polaroid submittals, you’ll find self-portraits fading into haunting watery scenery. Another example shows a mural board of 24 photos carefully reconstructing Buzz Aldrin’s moon landing. In another piece, clever artists roll the plastic Polaroid film in successive fashion for a provocative image. 

Anika Neese

Anika Neese, as well as other artists, display their Polaroid art on social media. Neese’s Instagram page takes you through a reel of her art room and gallery exhibits. Scroll through her feed for posts of her recent images. The Polaroids appear to represent paintings and altered realities.

A Piece of Nostalgia in Modern Times

Polaroid art experienced ups and downs for more than 85 years. Despite the introduction of 33 mm film and digital cameras, the technology still inspires artists. 

Its amazing versatility provides the foundation for unique imagery. The ability of artists to innovate over time has kept Polaroid a current art form. 

Have you ever used a Polaroid camera? Tell us about it in the comments below.