C41-- We Are on a Road to Nowhere.

Its official. the C41 is being moved to a big farm, where there are 'other photo machines with plenty of life left in them' to live out its last days. Reports say that the C41 is feeling positive about the move and looks forward to relaxing in its retirement. When asked about the rumour that the machine was in fact being used for scrap and would not be living out its last days as a C41, the machine responded 

"I do not see why that would happen, I mean why would such a mean trick be pulled on me" 

The move is a result of several secret meetings, without much communication for the mass of people interested in the machines welfare. 

This is the first time the machine has seen any daylight since 2006 when it made the move from Spectrum in West End. This reporter saw all the action back then, when the heavy yet precious machine was carried down a narrow stairway to an awaiting truck, only to be whisked off to a huge welcome of colour negative hungry photography students. 

Those days seem to have been quickly forgotten, as the machine sits in a deranged mess of its own pieces. A local man observing the mess, and who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of being prosecuted for stating an opinion stated: " I mean it doesn't look good hey?" he said with a worried tone. 

"Slowly photography is becoming less about photography and more about financial savings. Pretty soon photography will not even resemble photography, it will just be internet image layered shit." 

Several other onlookers walking by the C41's waiting place were shocked and worried by the sight they saw as they were not told of the machines early retirement, another witness stated: 

"It doesn't look good, by the looks of it the old machine isn't being treated with the respect it deserves before it gets taken to this supposed farm. But I guess the powers that got rid of the machine are slowly moving toward their photographic goals of being obvious, near sighted, non-experimental, cheap, limited, and whatever the opposite of cutting edge is. I mean the students here didn't even get to learn how to use the thing, it was just kept locked up and was only allowed to be used by a few people who didn't even care about C41 let alone shoot on it! Maybe that was the problem, if they taught the students how to use it, the machine gets used more, and it looks after itself. " 

The general feeling among C41's friends was a sense of loss, and an awareness that visual opportunities   were being taken away from them. 

"I guess we just make the same images, as every other image maker in the world, the exact same way as every other image maker does it." another passerby said. 

"I thought this was a university, aren't we supposed to be the forerunners of photography? not the followers of the industry? I guess being diverse, broad, open-minded, and embracing of all technologies is a little lost on a few close minded people who make decisions secretly and carry out operations no differently than the infamous Deen brothers of sir Joh's day."

There have been many comparisons of this latest incident, with the tearing down of Cloudland Ballroom in the early 80's. One observer even stating; "Not much difference really, I mean we are in Brisbane." 

With all of this worry surrounding the C41, the machine itself seems blissfully ignorant, stating: "I cant wait to see all my other photo machine buddies like 8X10 horizontal mural enlarger and the 28 Durst enlargers that were thrown out when live-image expanded, and the previous C41 enlarger that moved on to make room for me." 

It seems that it will only be a matter of time before RA4, B&W machine and others join C41 in the not to distant future.

'Care' staff who help the machine technically, and moved it to it's current location refused to comment.