Re: My first platinum-palladium over gold leaf prints
I am not sure about the sequencing steps you use. I assume that you do
Pt-Pd on vellum that has been rendered translucent. The gold leaf is
then applied to the back of the dried print. Please correct if I am
wrong.
Whereas the rippling of the vellum contributes to the dreamlike
outcome, when and if the rippling needs to be eliminated, use of the
thin Masa paper might be a solution.
Masa can be used with or without being mounted on a transparent support
medium (not on Yupo). Since the Pt-Pd entails only one printing pass,
it will not ripple the unmounted Masa much, and these can be pressed
out by drying between the folds of a cotton bedsheet. Mounted on the
support, there is NO rippling. THe smooth surface of Masa binds very
well to the support with the 3M Photo Mount adhesive, and the rough
side prints beautifully.
I wonder if this would be something to consider to avoid rippling
altogether.
Rajul
On 9-Feb-08, at 6:48 PM, Dan Burkholder wrote:
This evening I finally photographed the first group of
platinum/palladium over gold leaf prints. I've printed more than the
nine on this site but these are the most successful to date. After
doing a lot of inkjet printing over the past couple years, it felt
very refreshing to be involved with handmade processes once again. In
some way, this work is almost a rebellion to the direction most
photography is taking. The prints are small (4"x6" up to 5.5"x8.5"),
unlike the trend to giantism that the medium is experiencing. I also
wanted to make prints with a look and feel unlike anything we can
produce with an inkjet printer.
I started testing different vellums and sizes in December and am
starting to get a feel for what works and what doesn't. The harder
issue (for me at least) is learning what type of images work well in
this combination and which don't. It's like all of photography; the
"why's" are always more difficult than the "how's."
The images themselves are a mix of old and new, taking some years-old
images that are favorites along with new work from our new home in
upstate New York and exploring the print impact with the gold. The
"Flatiron in Spring, New York" image is my first effort at bimetal
gilding. The Flatiron is in palladium leaf and the rest of the print
is in 24K gold. I'm eager to do more of this Au/Pd leafing. I gotta
admit that there's something fun about making prints in which the
final image is comprised of three precious metals, all of which are
completely insensitive to light. ;^)
I will be out of pocket for a couple of days and won't be able to
reply very promptly to questions or comments.
Thanks for looking here:
www.DanBurkholder.com/gold
Dan
info@DanBurkholder.com
www.DanBurkholder.com