Polaroid Reflections
Dancing with the Instant

Polaroid instant photography appropriated time. The act of creating a photograph - the process of "buying a film, pushing a button" - changed forever.

The common meaning of appropriate is to set aside for a particular purpose or use, and is usually used to refer to objects. More general is the meaning of to take over without authority and to convert to own use. Can a concept such as time be appropriated in this sense?

Polaroid converted time to its own use under the guise of "Instant". The rhythm of time between "push the button" and seeing the result was changed as was the role of the photographer and creator of the photograph.

The guise of Instant in no way turned the photographer into passive spectator to the creation of the final work. The photographer was turned into an actor, into a dancer, forced to improvise with new roles to be learned by heart, based on a new physics and a new gymnastics of photography:

Pull out the Yellow Tab: Pull the yellow tab straight out of the Polaroid back, moderately fast, in one smooth uninterrupted action. Development starts when the yellow tab has been pulled completely out of the back and, therefore, start timing development from that point. A ''moderately fast'' pull should take about as long as it takes to say the words ''PULL IT'' at normal talking speed. If the developed print is full of white specks, slow down a little, as you are pulling too fast.

Let the Print Develop: Development of the print takes place outside of the Polaroid back, when the yellow tab has been pulled out completely. Therefore, let the picture develop for the full time recommended in the instruction