From: Katharine Thayer (kthayer@pacifier.com)
Date: 12/16/02-04:50:51 AM Z
Hi Ernestine, great to hear from you...
An early interest in gum for me was to reproduce the effect of some
early color photographic processes, like autochrome. One of the main
reasons I took up gum was that I really hate the hard, sharp,
supersaturated look of modern color prints and was looking for a way to
print color much softer and less saturated than modern color (as well as
more permanent). I loved the look of autochromes, and that and another
1930s- chrome process whose name I have forgotten were the historical
precedents I looked to, rather than anything that had been done
historically in gum. I achieved the look by choosing less intense
pigments; the colors I used for tricolor gum were more likely to be
earth colors than "process" colors. Over time these colors have softened
even more and grown paler and more desaturated; I tend not to print
tricolor any more, and even when I do it I'm told it resembles a
split-toned black and white print.
Your question about drawing and painting is timely for me; I burned out
preparing my last gum show several months ago and have taken a hiatus
from gum printing for a while, to the extent that I've turned down
requests to schedule shows in 2003. In the meantime I've gone back to
painting and sketching, trying to reclaim and further my skills in those
areas, and I expect eventually to combine this with gum printing in some
kind of mixed media thing. In the past I've done some cliche-verre, so
I've printed from painted or drawn plates on glass or tissue paper, but
have never painted or drawn directly on the print.
Hope that's the kind of information you're looking for,
Katharine Thayer
EWRPhoto@aol.com wrote:
>
> One first question ever for the list....Maybe when you read it, you will
> understand why I never have submitted one before.
> I am very interested in the group's reaction to the uses of color in gum in
> particular. This, obviously, is a very subjective thing. But when
> (sometimes)we combine the old (gum) and the new (digital negatives) as many
> of us are doing, we can't help but think of "old" color in the same vein as
> "new" color. When I talk about "old" color I am referring to many of the
> landscapes painted in the 19th century. Color mixed with atmosphere produced
> a marvelous effect. Are any of you gum printers concerned with the same sense
> of over-all effects of color as were produced through the history of art?
> Which periods interest you? And have you come up with new ways of achieving
> these? And how many of you are adding drawing and painting to your images?
> I guess the strain going on about 50's color prompted me to inquire about
> 2003 color.
> Thanks....Ernestine Ruben PS If you want to do this off list my address is
> ewrphoto@aol.com
>
> 644 Pretty Brook Road
> Princeton 08540 New Jersey
> 1 609 921 0565
> ewrphoto@aol.com
> www.ernestineruben.com
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