SALT: the substance formed in reaction of an acid and a base, preserver of food, keeper of light, agent against time, essential for life.

Light sensitive salts produce photographs. Nearly alchemy, these salts convert light energy into physical matter. Iron salts on paper yield deep blue cyanotypes. Silver salts formed with table salt or sea salt produce salt prints.

Primitive in action, these are two of photography's earliest forms. Intellectually, I understand these chemistries.

I am a saltworker. I concoct the formulas in my studio; employ them to retell knowledge and experience.

Yet every time, their results emerge wondrous.

-- Alyssa C Salomon