Art & culture
Alain Baczynsky’s annotated photobooth diary
A photograph and its handwritten reverse record more than appearance alone.
Some strips are kept for a face; others are kept for the words that travel with it. Alain Baczynsky’s series joined automated portraits with annotations on their backs. Reading only the front misses part of the work.
A dated print in a larger series
Centre Pompidou records a colour Photomaton made on 24 September 1980 as part of Regardez, il va peut-être se passer quelque chose…, 1979–1981. The catalogue describes 244 colour photomatons and notes that each was made and annotated immediately after an analysis session.
Evidence: Collection record
Two surfaces, one object
A note can change how a viewer reads an otherwise ordinary expression. It may supply a date, a feeling or a context the face cannot disclose. Conversely, a photograph does not verify everything written beside it. In a personal archive, keep the words and image connected while allowing each to remain its own kind of evidence.
Make a diary without imitating a clinical method
For an ordinary personal project, save one session and write a short note about the day. Record the date and the names you want remembered. If you digitise a paper strip, copy its reverse too. This is a memory exercise, not a claim that taking portraits provides treatment or measures mental health.
Sources & further reading
Sources for the specific facts and product descriptions above. Our worked examples, interpretations and practical suggestions are original editorial guidance.
- Centre Pompidou — Alain Baczynsky, PhotomatonCollection record