Pat, smells like teen spirit
Lyndal Walker is an artist and writer who works between Melbourne and Berlin. She works primarily in photography and installation, addressing themes of identity, time and fashion while challenging gender stereotypes and exploring fluidity. ‘Pat, smells like teen spirit’ forms part of Walker’s series of intimate portraits of young men in their underwear, Stay young (2004–10). Often depicted lying down or seated, these men are shown in domestic spaces that evoke the atmosphere of share-houses or student accommodation. The images seek to celebrate the transient beauty and virility of men in their early 20s, expressing innocence and vulnerability while dealing with issues of gender, voyeurism and the exploitation of youth and beauty.
2023
Chromogenic prints are printed on paper that has at least three emulsion layers containing invisible dyes and silver salts. Each emulsion layer is sensitive to a different primary colour of light (red, green or blue). The development process converts the hidden dyes to visible colour depending on the amount of light it was exposed to. This type of paper is commonly used to print from colour negatives or digital files to produce a full-colour image. It can also be used to print black-and-white images, giving softer grain and less contrast than gelatin silver prints. Commonly known as c-type prints, chromogenic processing was developed in the 1940s and widely used for colour printing, including for domestic snapshots. While recent years have seen this process accompanied by ink-jet and digital printing technologies, chromogenic printing still remains in use to this day.
