One of the quests of the alchemists was “the fixation of the volatile”, that is, to make permanent and physical that which is fleeting and spiritual, using the techniques of chemistry. I’ve always thought the invention of photography was the greatest alchemical achievement – using silver oxides to capture the impressions of light, the look of a moment, the expression on a face.

Sent me searching for a Man Ray quote: “…these images are oxidized residues, fixed by light and chemical elements, of living organisms.”