From: Richard Sullivan (richsul@earthlink.net)
Date: 07/28/03-07:33:55 AM Z
Dave,
You are not that far away.
Drop down to The Peoples Republic of Santa Fe sometime -- (You do have to
go through the dreaded state of Colorado to get here though!) I'll get
Stuart to come over with his prints and I'll buy everyone lunch.
I'll bet you'll change your mind.
I'll even throw in some free carbon tissue and a printing session over at
the CarbonWorks if you come down.
Cheers.
--Dick
At 10:02 PM 7/27/2003 -0600, you wrote:
>Dear Dick:
>
>"hostility"? If my opinions and direct writing style offend you, then so be
>it. I'm not a politically-correct butt kisser. I harbor no hostility
>towards Stuart Melvin. In my opinion, your promotion of Melvin's work e.g.
>"gum printing will never be the same" is ridiculous overblown hype.
>
>Prior to living in Wyoming, I resided in northern New Jersey for 14 years.
>During that time I visited many museums and galleries in the tri-state area.
>I've seen many gum prints ranging from atrocious to excellent. I haven't
>been to France, so I guess you win the 'pissing contest' over who's seen
>more gum prints. Aside from the article in the July/August 2001 issue of
>View Camera, I have not seen Stuart Melvin's work. I know that excellent
>gum printing was being done 100 years ago, as it is today.
>
>On the history of photography, here's Keith's recent posting:
>
>********
>I did a Google search on Puyo, Demachy, etc. Maybe some will find this
>useful:
>
>
>http://adm2.free.fr/sitegir/etapes/presence/pages/lectimag/puyo.htm
>
>http://classes.bnf.fr/portrait/grande/aj56.htm
>
>http://www.museeniepce.com/coll/pictorialisme_coll_62fr.html
>
>http://www.foto-sapiens.com/Helios/gomme.html
>
>http://home.pi.be/~jlepage/others/gommes_2/
>
>http://perso.wanadoo.fr/smgraphic/jmdugas/auv.html
>
>http://www.guma.powernet.pl/historia/muza.htm
>
>http://www.fotocultura.com/noticias/imagenes/demachy.jpg
>
>http://www.histoire-image.org/site/rech/theme.php?theme_id=352
>
>plenty more where those came from. Certainly tiny online images don't do
>them justice...
>********
>Very useful indeed! I agree that online images are limited. However, I've
>seen some of the actual prints depicted in the above links. The quality is
>awesome. Given the history of gum printing, Dick's hype comes off as
>superficial and self-promoting. I understand that he did need to generate
>excitement and ticket sales for APIS.
>
>I'm happy that APIS was well attended and a success. I wanted to be there
>but it wasn't possible. To the smart-ass (forgot your name) who snidely
>suggested that I was inept for having failed to plan my vacation two years
>in advance around APIS..... please consider that my precious vacation time
>is better spent visiting my elderly mother in Oregon. Call me a heretic,
>but attending APIS was not tops on my 'must do list'.
>
>How many other people (besides Mr. Melvin) have "spent a great deal of time
>improving the gum process" during the past few years? Plenty. I can think
>of many individuals who've freely and generously contributed their opinions
>and ideas to this internet list, while Mr. Melvin has been completely
>silent.
>
>Yes Dick, gum printing should be as quick and easy as possible, while
>maintaining the highest standards of course. Your patronizing suggestion
>that I try ink jet printing is an insult. I've probably spent more time and
>energy gum printing than you ever did or could ever imagine. I have to work
>a day job so I naturally I've had to learn faster, more efficient and better
>ways to print gum. Don't be offended that I should question the efficiency
>of Stuart's "dry dichro" and "filtering the emulsion" procedures. I'm very
>skeptical of "new processes" that are apparently more time consuming and
>laborious.
>
>As far as I can tell Dick, your biggest problem with me is that I have the
>freedom to be the alt-photo 'list gadfly'. How can I get away with it?
>Simple. I don't work as an academician teaching commercial/fine art
>photography. I don't rely on print sales to earn my living. I don't
>sell/conduct private workshops. Therefore I don't have to kiss butt or
>curry favor with you, arts council power brokers, gallery owners or museum
>curators. I make a nice living in retail sales. I have enough spare time
>to do my own fine art photography, exhibit locally and sell a few prints.
>If I offend you or anyone else on the alt-photo list, that's OK, it's not
>going to hurt my career. I like the freedom of being able to play devil's
>advocate and occasionally proclaim that "The emperor has no clothes".
>
>Best regards,
>Dave Rose
>Big Wonderful Wyoming
>
>(snip)
>Why all the hostility about one person who has spent a great deal of
>time improving the gum process and then having the grace to show us how he
>does it. I can't count the number of times folks at APIS came up and
>commented on how everyone was sharing their "secrets." No one is forcing
>you to do anything different in your printing, least of all Stuart.
>
>Cheers.
>
>--Dick Sullivan
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