Saturation Trails: The Acid Assay

Abstract

Saturation Trails is the collective title of a body of work conducted with the Archaeologies of Media and Technology research group at Winchester School of Art. The work investigates the materiality and operation of the digital image sensor, the ubiquitous photosensitive chip behind the lens of all phones, tablets, laptops, and cameras. To do this, I designed three experiments which would reveal the technics of the photosensitive semiconductor through which all our images are transduced. Image sensors were exposed using methodologies appropriated from the optoelectronics industry in which this component was developed, tested, and manufactured. The three techniques used were an infra-red laser, hydrofluoric acid and X-ray radiation.