Polaroid Transfer Art

Review by Lori Cartmell, Toronto, Canada.

This book contains beautiful examples of how to use SX-70 manipulation to produce Impressionist-like images (Murray has also authored the book "Monet's garden", and clearly favours painterly images). Many of the manipulated Polaroids in Murray's book have been handpainted as well, creating images which are very much like oil paintings. Murray provides a section at the back of the book describing tools and equipment which can be used for manipulations, a resource list suggesting where to obtain cameras or art supplies, and contact information for Polaroid. Also included are instructions on how to adapt a Polaroid 600 series camera to accept SX-70 film, and how to project slides onto SX-70 film using an enlarger. This book's main strength is the wonderful inspiration it provides through examples of Murray's exquisite images.

Painterly Photography by Elizabeth Murray. Pomegranate Art Books, 1993.

The book is out of print but it is not difficult to find used.