From: Joachim Oppenheimer (jo.achim@verizon.net)
Date: 07/08/03-07:20:45 AM Z
Having recently posted my modification of the Gravity Works frames to suit
my needs, there will never be a specific right-wrong about the best contact
printing method. While uniform pressure is important, I doubt if - beyond a
minimal point - the degree of pressure makes a noticeable difference. I say
this because acuity in contact prints is more a function of the coarseness,
or lack thereof, of the substrate than of the distribution of the pressure
(I should say force). It is obviously more difficult to achieve uniformity
in large prints than small so that it would seem easier to achieve desired
results with vacuum frames when printing large, but the cutoff point is hard
to define, but it is well above the 8x10 level. I have taken a way out of
the argument altogether. Having made 24x36 contact prints of exhibition
quality, I am moving toward smaller prints - in keeping with the philosophy
that it is not the size of the army but the fury of the attack that counts.
Without reviewing the world history of art in terms of little gems, and
mentioning only two current examples of fine art in small size, the names of
Dan Burkholder and Michael Kenna come easily to mind. True, art sells by the
meter and not the millimeter, but if money is your object there are better
ways to make a buck - just ask Willie Sutton or Merrill Lynch. Joachim
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