U of S | Mailing List Archive | alt-photo-process-l | Re: My first platinum-palladium over gold leaf prints

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