Cronographs

or The Sun, Wanderer Over the Skies of Cluj

Chronographs presents a provocative intersection of celestial mechanics and contemporary darkroom alchemy. This collection serves as an experimental record of a five-year study (2019–2024), utilizing the technique of solargraphy to collapse the boundaries between the natural world and the curated image.

In this body of work, the Sun is stripped of its role as a mere source of illumination and is instead elevated to the status of co-author. Through the use of rudimentary pinhole cameras, constructed from repurposed aluminum cans and loaded with often expired silver halide photopaper, the artist captures the nonchalant and punctual pilgrimage of the Sun across the sky of Cluj.

At the heart of this collection is the radical manipulation of time. While traditional photography seeks to freeze a decisive moment, these works utilize ultra-long exposures spanning four to eight months. The resulting images are not mere documents, but temporal condensations, where half a year of solar movement is distilled into a single, static frame. The urban landscape (the bridges, trees, and architecture of Cluj) recedes into diffuse silhouettes and spectral shadows, allowing the Sun’s seasonal trajectory to take center stage.

Though the arched, vibrant lines trace the Sun’s path, these “graphies” transcend scientific data. They function as a unique form of ephemeral street art. The artist intentionally utilizes the chemical degradation of analogue photographic media to produce abstract chromatic structures that speak to the specific light of the city.