From: Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Date: 01/26/02-08:38:45 PM Z
B
On Sat, 26 Jan 2002, clay wrote:
> One thought about the preference for platinum/palladium is that it seems
> ^slightly^ less fussy in that there are fewer steps in the post development,
> wet processing stage, i.e. just a clearing step versus a fixing, possible
> toning, and a clearing procedure for kallitype. There also seems to be a
> pretty complete consensus on the permanence of pt/pd versus some debate
> about the kallitype.
I think what you say is true, Clay, but it's surely not the only reason.
If you've ever heard a dealer (um, excuse me, gallerist) sell a platinum
print you'd know that it's touted as the ultimate queen (king?) of
processes, simply by being -- platinum! Which is to say, if platinum cost
what silver costs, I doubt it would be so revered.
In other words, whatever you call it, snob value, the expense factor,
*other* things also impute value to what is after all some markings on a
piece of paper often exchanged for enough cash to buy a piece of real
estate.
It is my own opinion, since you insist, that this has NOT worked in
platinum's favor. I think (1). the expense factor has promoted a sort of
uptight bean-(ie., detail) counting that is anti-aesthetic (call it
information overload) and (2) for all the above reasons stifled
innovation. Platinum is/can be a gorgeous process. Too often it's a bore.
This is purely my own opinion of course, and not the opinion of this
station or its advertisers. (But how about doing some platinum and passing
it off as kallitype? Consider it a performance piece.) I'll add that a
student of mine did a variables test of VDB vs Palladium, on both a
21-step test strip and print... matched the palladium curve exactly with
the VDB.
New topic: If anyone can get to NYC tomorrow, see the Outsider Art Fair at
the Puck Building. Only a few photographs, and those kind of wiggy, NOT
the stars of the show (except an A. G. Rizzoli cyanotype that is sublime),
but very inspirational and refreshing change from the tech grind any
of/all of these processes often entail. There was the guy does exquisite
little medallions from thread of unravelled socks, the guy from Nova
Scotia draws on plastic plates, the old fave from the insane assylum, lots
of Bill Traylor (yes virginia, there is such a thing as genius) who drew
on pieces of cardboard picked up off the street -- and did NOT worry about
pH neutral ! A heap of Henry Darger, the Vivian girls with their yellow
and lavender dresses, or alternatively naked with little penises... Etc.
The bad part was the mobs. I mean a LOT of people, which is of course
good. We need the tourists.
best,
Judy
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