“I am endlessly inspired by nature, especially trees, flowers and animals - all those beau�ful and tradi�onal things to photograph! But I believe that the nature of Polaroid photography takes these typical subjects to a whole new level, and the emulsion li� process creates something en�rely unique and magical again. I lived and worked on the island of Lundy for many years, and my work has been heavily influenced by this special place and wonderful experience. I took hundreds of Polaroids when I was there, and am now in the process of turning them into works of art through emulsion li�ing. When ejected from the camera, a Polaroid is a small frame of pure joy, made up of layers of chemistry and a li�le dash of magic. These layers include a light-sensi�ve nega�ve, a transparent cover sheet which lets the image be exposed to the nega�ve, and a thin foil pod located in the white strip below the frame, containing the reagent which will develop the picture. A Polaroid emulsion li� is the process of disassembling the layers and extrac�ng the middle layer (the photographic emulsion) from the rest of the frame, and then carefully transferring it onto a piece of paper to create a work of art. It’s an extremely intui�ve, delicate and tricky process. When the photographic emulsion is free from the other layers, it is very fragile and waferthin, with a mind of its own! It constantly wants to curl itself up and float away, like a graceful but unruly ghost. My job is to try and tame this strange creature, cajoling it onto the paper for all to enjoy. My submission of 'The Droste Effect' [le�] seemed par�cularly applicable and interes�ng for this brief. I had originally taken a Polaroid photograph looking through the window of the old Ba�ery building on Lundy, and when it was developed, I took four separate Polaroids of me holding the ini�al Polaroid up to the window. I have then done emulsion li�s of the four Polaroids, and 's�tched' them together, crea�ng the Droste Effect of looking through a window of a window - my take on 'Inside The Box'!” @siancann
@libbyltaylor
The things we take. “In this instance I took a photograph and two Whelk shells from the coastline in South West Scotland.” Sophie Lethem @Another.language_
@_Emilythornhill_ “CREATED IN PURSUIT OF A NATIVE TONGUE, NOW ONLY SPOKEN BY THE LAND ITSELF, WHERE THERE ECHOES A COLLECTIVE MEMORY, HIDDEN IN THE NAMES OF PLACES.” Emily Thornhill is a predominantly analogue photographer and visual ar�st. Her prac�ce is heavily influenced by her love for the natural world, which was forged by a childhood spent wandering the countryside and coastline of Cornwall. She explores the rela�onship between humanity and its surrounding environment and how this has been interpreted through literature, history, philosophy, religion, mythology and folklore. She enjoys experimen�ng with alterna�ve photographic prac�ces and found-photography through collec�ng and incorpora�ng organic substances and natural ma�er into her prac�ce. Emily Thornhill
“There are spaces around us which we see as redundant; hedgerows, ditches, verges; but it is all a ma�er of percep�on. Over and under, in the areas in between, given a chance nature finds a way. Influenced by the margins of illuminated manuscripts and the art of Trompe l’oeil, I have played with this no�on of shi�ing viewpoints. Reversing the idea of the tradi�onal framed artwork, the gap between the frame and the central object now provides the interest.” @hazelmountford Hazel Mountford
@Sako_collage_studio M a r c e l S a k o w s k i “Landscapes inspired by the view from my window.”
“Been watching the world through glass as of late. Feel like a fish.” Annie Dawkins @anniedawkinsart
If I were a key, where would I be? In a coat pocket? By the tv? I’ve already checked the bowl and the hook, but I s�ll cannot find you, where else to look? If I were a key, where would I be? Next to my pot plant? In potpourri? Why must you do this I think to myself, as I climb on the counter to check the top shelf. If I were a key, hiding from me, where would I be, I beg and I plea! Suddenly then, I hear a faint jangle, as I look in my bag and see you in a tangle, If I were a key, that’s where I’d be, wrapped in my headphones, under debris, I unravel you slowly and ask why you tease? Why must I have such pesky keys… “I mostly illustrate people, because they differ so much; some have huge noses, limp lips, forlorn eyebrows or droopy jowls. I seek the comical nature and peculiarity of a person, drawing from life, photographs or imagina�on. I like to think I challenge the expecta�ons of the figure in some way, in how the colours, canvas or even the undrawn parts of the paper can dictate the space and line." *Poetry by Zanna - Katie Bass -
@Kbass_illustrations
Michelle Concetta @Drim.artz
“To grow and live we must stop to look within, at our experiences and learnings, think and work on self-knowledge, live moments of introspec�on. Because not everything is outside of the box.” Bea Montero @paperscollage
“I’ve been thinking a lot about progress lately, about growth or change, or whatever. When I was younger, I used to think that I’d arrive one day in perfec�on, that I’d wake up and suddenly be whoever I was supposed to be. Since quaran�ne, or since 2020 happened, the idea of both striving and perfec�on seem ridiculous. There is just you, stuck at home, and the future is both murky and unknown. But change does happen, and you can grow as a person, but it feels less like striving, and more like tending; like showing up day a�er day to do a series of �ny tasks that eventually, one day, with �me, will make something new.” Steph Kenzie @crabhandskenzie
T ay a M a r t i n @tayamartin These mosaic �les take the brief to the nth degree. A square piece of work made up of hundreds, if not thousands, of squares (with some rectangles sprinkled in for flavour) and inspired by one of few classic techniques that did tradi�onally u�lise squares. Taya is never one to shy away from a challenge and her pa�ence and a�en�on to detail is evident in these pieces. She has pulled this ancient technique into the modern day with her digital interpreta�on but didn’t take any technological shortcuts and respected the cra�, painstakingly drawing each square by hand, courtesy of a pen and tablet combo.
Annelies Miedema @annemie21
@Melissquirtle Melissa Martini floppy discs and Post-It notes waffles and napkins and toast handkerchiefs and QR codes pizza boxes and windows stamps, dice, cobblestones picture frames and app logos shoe shelves, cubby holes sailboat sails that stay afloat sheets to turn into ghosts baking dishes to bake or roast tracks for trains at the railroad dollars folded and borrowed scrabble �les, A through Z coasters and bags of tea origami paper folded so neat CD cases and shiny teeth Sicilian pizza, extra cheese pe�t fours, keyboard keys �ered cakes and brownies floor �les and record sleeves sidewalk strips below debris packets of powdered vitamin C pieces of paper, our degrees credit card receipts and fees building blocks, sugar cubes, paper which shares the news, sliced up bread, croutons, too boxes, a board game of Clue cushions, cloths, cubed fruit bird cages, pigeon coops apartment buildings’ stoops ham chunks in pea soup cereal boxes of Froot Loops naviga�on grids and bills due boxed shoes, brand new gree�ng cards, thank yous crackers and chocolate bars dice and boxes of cigars photos, portraits, works of art maps to travel near and far sandboxes, trolley cars television dans blanc et noir laundry machines, bar charts stoves, ovens, shopping carts tarot decks and grimoires blondies, shells for fruit tarts all the people that we are simply squares amongst stars
O�en composed from memory, Anna’s work becomes a form of visual reportage that, with its gonzo style, shi�s the viewer’s percep�on of their surroundings, aims to raise social and poli�cal awareness and records our present. This piece, Unsquare Story, is a wordless comic strip on how to think outside the box. Breaking out of constraints can be freeing but don’t let yourself float away completely, it’s called a comfort zone for a reason. Not everything you do has to push boundaries or change the world. Try new things and allow your comfort zone to grow with you but if you feel the box is s�fling you then by all means smash it. @Chiarini.anna www.annachiarini.comAnna Chiarini
GREGORY FORTNUM
Emily Chapman Giada Rotundo Surealismac Aleks Victor Martinez Barbi Taylor Ana Milena Torres Sian Cann Libby Taylor Sophie Lethem Emily Thornhill Hazel Mountford Rowan Romeiro Marinna Benzon Ariee Hola Rebekka Katajisto Doublewhoop Kevin Lopez Saskia Huitema Peta McClymont TG Freeson Nada Duga Panda Cooper Koywe Kollage Lauren Clark Rocío Nosella Samantha Sadik Myrte van der Molen Gabriela Kliemann Dias Alexis Javellana Hill Thomas H Hancock Sebastian Petersen Jeganmones Marcel Sakowski Annie Dawkins Katie Bass Michelle Concetta Bea Montero Steph Kenzie Taya Martin Annelies Miedema Melissa Martini Anna Chiarini Gregory Fortnum Contributors
More ways to help support us and the creatives we love! - The Affordable Print Initiative - The Collage Cooperative - Look into the artists we stock Join us . . . @wearezanna www.Wearezanna.co.uk Issue Nine Submissions open - April 15th Submissions Close - May 31st Entries open: April 5th - June 30th Unfortunately the fridge awards are only currently open to uk residents. Full T&cs available at www.wearezanna.co.uk/fridgeawards This year will see the first ever Zanna Fridge Awards! We are looking for the piece of work you are the most proud of, the one deserving of making the fridge! £1250+ worth of prizes up for grabs. Join our Patreon today and never miss another issue. For just £3 a month you can get every new issue of Zanna magazine delivered straight to your door! Be a Hero and support our growing creative business.