[alt-photo] Re: Paractitioners from WWII thru the 1970's

[Richsul Sullivan]

I read that too. However from 1980 onwards when I talked to the studio on
the phone it was clearly assistants asking the questions and doing the
printing. There seemed to be new people every month and when I inquired as
to whether they were doing the printing I got lots of stonewalling and round
about answers so I suspect he was not doing his own platinum printing at
that point. Clearly his assembly line of assistants were not supposed to
admit they were printing. His was a big studio, so it is possible that
various people would answer the phone, but clearly these were technical
questions ask by folks making the prints. 

I also periodically talked to Albert Watson, who called and asked the
questions and clearly was the printing his own platinum work. 

Penn was apparently not an easy man to get along with. He had a hissy fit
when he found out Dick Arentz was going to do a gallery talk about platinum
in the ICP gallery when Penn had a show. He wouldn't do the talk but he
would not allow anyone else to either.

He was probably only topped by Gene Smith when it came to "get along
ability." 

I also overhead the most off the wall description of how a platinum print
was made by a big time California fashion photographer who supposedly made
the prints in the show I was at. He was taking all the credit for printing
the work on the wall during the reception when I knew who made them. When I
introduced myself and mentioned the name of the printer he suddenly found
someone else to talk to. He was actually a nice guy! He did sense that there
was extra credit to be earned by making one's own prints otherwise, why
bother?

--Dick

-----Original Message-----
From: alt-photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org
[mailto:alt-photo-process-list-bounces at lists.altphotolist.org] On Behalf Of
Keith Gerling
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2010 1:35 PM
To: The alternative photographic processes mailing list
Subject: [alt-photo] Re: Paractitioners from WWII thru the 1970's

this from Penn's book Passage, page 144:

"finally I arrived at the serene pleasure of making the print itself.  Over
the years I must have spent thousands of hours silently brushing on the
liquid coatings, preparing each sheet of paper in anticipation of reaching
the perfect print"

On Thu, Mar 11, 2010 at 2:27 PM, Keith Gerling
<keith.gerling at gmail.com>wrote:

> Todd Walker made gum bichromate prints in the 60s (I think)
>
>
> On Thu, Mar 11, 2010 at 2:16 PM, Jeremy Moore
<jeremydmoore at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> Joe,
>>
>> >From reading what? I, like Paul, have heard both stories and would like
>> to
>> see citations as opposed to more second-hand information.
>>
>> -Jeremy-
>>
>> On Thu, Mar 11, 2010 at 2:09 PM, <JoeSarff at aol.com> wrote:
>>
>> >
>> > >From reading I have one, Penn would come into the studio, and look at
>> the
>> > ground glass, make adjustments and leave.  The 'technicians' actually
>> lit,
>> > composed and tripped the shutter.  From that I would say David Vestal
>>  is
>> > correct.
>> >
>> > George Tice also printed platinum in the 70's
>> >
>> > Joe Sarff
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > In a message dated 3/11/2010 9:41:29 A.M. Mountain Standard Time,
>> > viapiano at pacbell.net writes:
>> >
>> > AFAIK,  Irving Penn did the alt work in his studios, but of course, may
>> > have
>> > been  helped by assistants.
>> >
>> > Where do you have info that can be verified that  he did not print his
>> alt
>> > or
>> > other work?
>> >
>> > You know, a while ago there  was an article in one of the photo mags in
>> > which
>> > David Vestal reamed  Irving Penn re: his work and implied that they guy
>> > knew
>> > nothing about  photography. It was deplorable, and just proved to me
>> that
>> > Vestal had an  axe to grind, but both men's work speaks for  itself.
>> >
>> > Paul
>> >
>> >
>> > ----- Original Message -----
>> > From: "Richsul  Sullivan" <richsul at earthlink.net>
>> > To: "'The alternative photographic  processes mailing list'"
>> > <alt-photo-process-list at lists.altphotolist.org>
>> > Sent: Thursday,  March 11, 2010 8:32 AM
>> > Subject: [alt-photo] Paractitioners from WWII thru  the 1970's
>> >
>> >
>> > >I can use some help. I am preparing a lecture on the  history of alt
>> > process
>> > > since WWII.
>> > >
>> > > I would like to  know who was doing handmade and historical process
>> > > photography after  WWII up to 1980. I am particularly interested in
>> folks
>> > > working in the  1970's in what I call the early renaissance period of
>> alt
>> > > photography.  Links to their work is helpful as well as any
>> information
>> > as
>> > >  to
>> > > who was actually doing the printing, say in the case of Irving  Penn,
>> who
>> > I
>> > > believed did not print most of his own work. Hopefully the  folks
>> would
>> > > have
>> > > had some exhibitions of their  works.
>> > >
>> > > As an example, Steve Szabo made a mark in the 70's  doing platinum
>> prints
>> > > and
>> > > Laura Gilpin continued making  platinum prints post WWII until her
>> death.
>> > > Karl Struss had work  printed by Herb Quick and I believe they were
>> made
>> > in
>> > > the  1970's.
>> > >
>> > > I am not interested in silver gelatin even though some  now consider
>> it
>> > to
>> > > be
>> > > alternative.
>> > >
>> > >  Thanks!
>> > >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > Alt-photo-process-list | http://altphotolist.org/listinfo
>> >
>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>
>
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