No.Not Fresson !

Grafist@aol.com
Fri, 04 Jul 1997 17:12:46 -0400 (EDT)

Hi Art,
On Thu, 3 Jul 1997, Dennis Klinker wrote:

> Hi Art I can only agree with you,original Fresson prints have a great
> beauty and I can understand why they are still popular today,and as you
> mention it is a valid area for experimentation.I have recently seen some
> great prints by John Grocott who is using a direct pigment process and
......................then you wrote..................
I've seen two of his prints, very nice but not close to Fresson. They
look like they are screened versus continuous tone.
Art,
I am pleased you thought my prints were " very nice" . What did you
think was very nice about them? And, you are right, as I have consistently
tried to say, MY DIRECT CARBON GELATINE PRINT MAKING SYSTEM HAS NOTHING TO DO
WITH FRESSON. All that anyone can learn about Fresson is what it IS
NOT......so why should I keep trying to persue the issue? Even if you thought
the results from the analysis of the paper sample told you something about
its makeup there would be no one to authenticate your findings or say how the
coatings were made. I imagine , the Fressons do not use spray guns. Why not
ask Luis Nadeau about this?
The information in your patent for your Direct Carbon print
process can obviously enable a skilled worker, with effort, patience and
practise, to produce satisfying images. This is what people are looking for
! ! (See recent postings) I hope you are successful in commercializing your
process. I will certainly recomend, where I can, that it should be tried by
serious pigment printers.
We can continue to discuss this interesting subject (Direct
Carbon pigment printing) forever but why should it always gravitate back to
Fresson ? Even when the results of your Fresson paper analysis may promote
you to state that you have discovered THE REAL McCOY.............it is not
your proclaimation which will be taken notice of but that of those who are
able (if they feel so inclined) to deny you are right..... BECAUSE THEY KNOW
! Wasted energy, my friend. There is plenty of room for new research to be
done, as you are saying, and yet, the mistique still lingers in the mind
about the proprietary name of the print process called Fresson.
By the way.....< They look like they are screened versus
continuous tone.
I can assure you my technique uses only hand coating and U.V. exposure
through a continuous tone negative.........but they may look as you say. It
may have something to do with the striated ,Ingres type, surface texture of
the laid paper I used for those prints.
I regret that I cannot be more forthcoming, at present, on the
details of my own research into Direct Carbon but I feel it would be unwise
to scatter the results of hard won effort to the world when I am currently in
the process of liaising with a corporate commercial company regarding its
use. Sorry to seem so cagey but, " Art for Art's sake. Money, for God's
sake."
Moving along, calmly. Best wishes to all.
John Grocott - Photographist (London U.K )