In his new series Cosmotypes, Granville Carroll uses a cameraless photographic process as a metaphor for "reclaiming power from nothingness."

As humans often do, Granville Carroll frequently ponders the origins of the universe. “I imagine the power needed,” he writes, “to make something out of nothing.”

Carroll makes collodion plates on surfaces including glass, metal, and acrylic to mirror the creation of the cosmos. These "Cosmotypes" – dark, abstract, and prone to technical chance – reflect the mystery of what lies above and beyond and what might have come before it. For Carroll, these cameraless images are not just creation story meditations, but ruminations on control, oppositional forces, and his own cultural, spiritual, and personal journey. “I set my gaze,” writes Carroll, “on the expanse of space, marveling at the vibratory dance of light and darkness.”

A longtime fan of Carroll’s work, I caught wind of Cosmotypes in December 2020 when he shared an early image from the series on Instagram and had to learn more. A few months later, we connected to discuss its present and historic implications and the flourishing expanse of cosmological photography.

Jon Feinstein in conversation with Granville Carroll

Infinite Essence: "James" 2018 © Mikael Owunna

Mikael Owunna discusses the richness of his photo series Infinite Essence

"The trope of the Black body as a site of death is everywhere," writes Mikael Owunna. "Being gunned down by police officers, drowning and washing up on the shores of the Mediterranean, starving and suffering in award-winning photography," these images permeate mainstream news, our social media feeds and are a constant stream of visual trauma. For Owunna, these images became a catalyst to transfigure the Black body from a site of death and state violence to transcendent eternal beings.

In 2017, Owunna began Infinite Essence, a series of glowing, ethereal photographs that elevate Black bodies to the cosmos. Owunna paints his models with fluorescent paint and uses his engineering background to enhance a standard flash with an ultraviolet bypass filter rendering only ultraviolet light. The resulting images expose viewers to what they might not otherwise see: a metaphor for the beauty, joy, and power of Black life that is often omitted from popular narratives. Infinite Essence is a haven – a safe space from centuries of systemic oppression. Owunna's muses are floating, content, and infinitely secure.

I spoke with Owunna to learn more.

Jon Feinstein in conversation with Mikael Owunna

Cosmological Photography as a Symbol of Power, Balance, and Origin Stories

Astro-Black Mythology: In Conversation with Mikael Owunna