From: Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Date: 03/12/02-01:24:57 AM Z
On Mon, 11 Mar 2002, Richard Sullivan wrote:
> Stu was beside himself over a discovery he made. At least we have not seen
> a mention of this in print so we think it is his discovery. I asked him if
> he was going to keep it a secret and he said no, that it will be part of
> his workshops.
This may be a case of parallel invention -- or more precisely
re-invention. It's not common, but does appear from time to time in the
old formulas -- a certain percentage of alcohol added to the mix. The next
time I come across one, I'll post it. But it remains in occasional use, or
was a few years ago, tho perhaps as a cure for a specific coating problem.
My experience with it makes me suspect it's materials dependent however --
wonderful with some combos, a dud with others. And, though I don't recall
the subject line, I'm pretty sure we discussed it on this list: I know I
got it somewhere & did NOT invent it. (Al Strauss comes to mind, but
that's simply a guess.)
I was trying to make gum emulsion hold on a slippery surface (the first
coats were very dense), as apparently it does, or is supposed to. The
alcohol (supposedly, or apparently, take your choice) makes it penetrate
more deeply or better. The risk is that if you put in too much, it
penetrates too deeply & doesn't clear, or clears with much difficulty and
not nicely. Maybe also the quality of the alcohol is a factor -- I used
plain isopropyl, which may have been the problem. I had some success with
it, but not enough, finally lost patience & sanded the undercoat. Maybe a
good grain mash would have done better, but my sense of the operation was
that, as noted, it was the combo.
If Stuart Melvin was doing this over platinum, that could explain the
success of the additive -- helping to sink in over a partially blocked
paper.
> .... Stuart definitely does not fall into the "fancy borders" school of
> alt photography that Frank Van Riper refers to in C. James book review in
> the Washington Post.
I don't hold that against Stuart at all. As a sometime member of the fancy
borders school of alt myself (perhaps even main practitioner?), I will say
(no offense) that if Frank Van Riper doesn't appreciate a fancy border (or
a plain one either), he's missing half the fun, not to mention the
possibilities. (I think I have a hair shirt around here somewhere I can
forward for his enjoyment). Stuart, however, may be young enough to learn
-- if he breathes enough additive it might even inspire him.
cheers,
Judy
> BTW, Stuart has been using liquor store Everclear a drinkable (!) 190 proof
> pure grain alcohol. This stuff is illegal in many states including
> California but folks sit in parking lots in New Mexico drinking it with a
> soda straw. But then we have one of the highest alcohol related death rates
> in the US too.
>
> Whether or not it works with Home Depot methyl alcohol remains to be seen
> but I suspect it works just as well with that.
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