From: Sandy King (sanking@hubcap.clemson.edu)
Date: 12/31/00-08:27:29 PM Z
>On Sunday, 31 Dec 2000, Judy Seigel wrote:
>
>
>Well, Joe, since you seem familiar with the several processes perhaps you
>can answer the question (first of the new millennium?) I've asked several
>times & not really had answered: What is the advantage of a salt print?
>
>I've never done it, but know it's more difficult than plain VDB, for
>instance, and also know that many people do it. I've seen some that were
>extremely beautiful, but those were early prints, when there were fewer
>options. And maybe these survived because they were exceptionally
>beautiful. I've seen only a few contemporary salt prints; at least
>to my eye, they were NOT special.
>
>So, why do you do salt prints?
I am not Joe but I will try to answe your question. First, since you use
the VDB as an object of comparison I am going to assume that your question
is, "what is the advantage of salt prints over the plain VDB?" I am not an
expert on either salt printing or VDB but I have made a few nice prints
with both processes. For me the violet umber (untoned) or purple-violet
black (gold-toned) of color (either untoned or gold-toned) of the salted
paper print is a more beautiful and interesting color than the almost
lifeless brown of the VDB.Some VDBs seem to pick up a little maroon and I
like these more but I have not been able to get any color with VDB but dead
brown.
No doubt salted paoer is more complicated than VDB and I have had a lot of
trouble getting it right but the result, when you do get it right salted
paper is quite captivating. In fact I like the color so much that I have a
special pigment formula for carbon that to some extent imitates the
appearance of gold-toned salted paper (and albumens for that matter).
I must also say that the historical nature of salted paper makes it an
intriguing process to work, almost as if one is transported back to the
studio od Fox Talbot. Of course there is something fascinating about all of
the hand-made processes, even VDB, but salted paper, and then carbon of
course, are especially exciting for me because of their very long history
of use.
Sandy
Sandy
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