Still Developing, by Tatiana – In The Mix #53
January 21, 2011 Tatiana EL-Khouri 4 Comments
In lieu of my article this week, I’d like to invite the MDW community to the Still Developing Polaroid Party + Book Release. in 2009, I participated in a gallery show marking the expiration date of the Polaroid 600 film.
If you are in the Santa Monica area, please come out and support!
Polaroid Party + Book Release
In its original incarnation, Instant Gratification was a celebratory tribute to instant film. The opening at Hibbleton Gallery was set to coincide with the expiration date of Polaroid’s beloved 600 series; a last hurrah on August 7, 2009. Instead, word spread. The exhibition drew an audience of over 800 enthusiasts on opening night in Fullerton, and a crowd of over 2,000 for the Los Angeles vernissage at Bergamot Station, Copro Gallery on January 9, 2010.
Now coupled with a limited edition book – which features over 200 professional and amateur photographers from around the world as well as 30 essayists touting the medium’s invaluable assets – Instant Gratification’s cause continues to expand.
Please join us in celebration of Still Developing: A Story of Instant Gratification’s release at Deyermond Art + Books, an independent bookstore and gallery specializing in rare literature, art monographs, photography, architecture and design books.
Saturday, January 22 · 8:00pm – 11:00pm
Deyermond Art + Books
2801 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405
>> BUY THE BOOK
http://www.ismcommunity.org/stilldeveloping
>> DOWNLOAD SAMPLE
http://www.ismcommunity.org/stilldeveloping_sample.pdf
>> RSVP FOR THE POLAROID PARTY + BOOK RELEASE
http://www.ismcommunity.org/rsvp
Vinnie Bartilucci
January 21, 2011 - 10:13 am
Polaroid is still used today to describe a particular marketing strategy.
“Giving the camera away” describes when one sells the base product at a loss, or nearly so, knowing that the sales on refills (in Polaroid’s case, film) will more than make up the loss. This is why Polaroid so fiercely protected the patents for their film; they didn’t want other companies making compatible film and losing the sales. When Kodak came out with The Handle in the 70’s or so, Polaroid came down on them like a house afire, and it was gone toot suite.
Razors are sold the same way, as are most videogame systems. The sale of replacement razors or new games are the real profit chain.
In Japan, Polaroids are (were) considered a gift. If you took a picture of someone, you were expected to give them the photo.
Russ Rogers
January 21, 2011 - 7:17 pm
I have a couple of Polaroid Joy Cams with several packs of unused film. The film pack contained the battery that powered the flash on the camera. The film is unopened, but more than 7 years old. Probably useless now.
MOTU
January 21, 2011 - 11:15 pm
Polaroid was the best thing to happen to ‘personal’ porn back in the day before camcorders and digital cameras.
I heard.
John Tebbel
January 22, 2011 - 8:19 am
The whole Polaroid arc was a wonderful example of American technological and commercial exuberance. I can’t think of any other product that, whenever it appeared, in whatever context or whatever incarnation, instantly focussed attention to itself. The pop-out, self-developing, long-lasting color print is a real crown of creation.