U of S | Mailing List Archive | alt-photo-process-l | RE: I agree with Sandy

RE: I agree with Sandy



DEAR RICHARD,
	I assume you know the smell of a bordello for the same reason that I
know that the lovely, scented, tropical shrubs called "Ladies of the Night"
we planted outside our bedroom windows are accurately named.
			CHEERS!
				BOB  
		

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Sullivan [mailto:richsul@earthlink.net] 
Sent: Monday, May 28, 2007 11:58 AM
To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
Subject: Re: I agree with Sandy

Me too.

I have to agree with Judy and Sandy.

There is a small group that meets twice a week at the B+S carbon works 
factory. We call ourselves the Carbon Study Group but we also do more 
than carbon. At this moment I am turning our indsutrial neighborhood 
into what smells like a bordello since I am boiling down $50.00 worth of 
lavender oil to a resin for a pre-daguerreian/* */photo experiment for 
tomorrow's session. There are other cheaper modern materials that would 
work as well To the point of Judy and Sandy's comments, we do run into 
the modern vs traditional argument. As we explore these processes we can 
see how they can be improved with modern methods and materials. We can 
substitute "the modern this" for the "traditional that" and avoid some 
of the problems inherent in the older traditional process. But and that 
is a big "but," it isn't the same. There is a sense of historical 
connection that one makes by doing it the way they used to do it. It is 
in a sense related to that idea of the handmade that I have discussed 
here before. On the other hand, there is the utilitarian approach that 
some people take that is it is the results that count. If one gets a 
beautiful picture then what's the gripe? Both sides have their merits.

Ok, someone's going to ask how I know what a bordello smells like.

--Dick Sullivan



Judy Seigel wrote:
>
> Sndy King wrote:
>
>> It has always seemed to me that the mystique of Fresson is almost 
>> entirely due  to the fact that the prints are made by members of the 
>> Fresson family using a proprietary printing method that around a 
>> century old. Even if one were able to manufacture a direct carbon 
>> type paper that is superior to Fresson it still would not be a Fresson.
>>
>> On that score, gum bichromate prints are in the same family as direct 
>> carbon. The color gum prints made by a number of contemporary workers 
>> are technically much superior to color prints made by Fresson, IMHO. 
>> But there are still many people who would prefer to own a real Fresson.
>>
>> Sandy King
>
> =================================
> Exactly, exactly, exactly.
>
> The most beautiful photograph in the most exquisite medium might not 
> get a second glance.  In our celebrity crazed culture, how could it be 
> otherwise. Maker of this beautiful picture is not a celebrity. Maybe 
> some day, but Fresson is already celebrity.
>
> My hunch anyway is that with today's software & hardware, a 
> "technically" better print could be made by graduate student with 
> Photoshop, Apple Giraffe, & inkjet.
>
> However, forget that. "Art" across the board today is a commodity, and 
> don't kid yourself that old process is somehow "different."  I think 
> of today's (Sunday's) NY Times Business section article, under topic 
> Sunday Money: "Art Advice, for hire. By Julie Bick, page 5."
>
> Maybe someone has that already on line, and would take the part that 
> starts "Consultants can charge by the hour, " and continues through 
> "For those who want to measure art sale returns as part of their 
> financial portfolios, ArtASAnAsset.com offers the Mei Moses Fine Art 
> indexes...." and well, actually through the end of the article.
>
> In sum: they take the artist you liked, divide his/her last auction 
> price by previous year's sales, subtract from gallery's monthly 
> rental, add to last year's price and length of waiting list, multiply 
> by consultant's hourly rate, add 50 points for famous lover, and 
> advise whether to buy or not.
>
> J.
>