From: Henry Rattle (henry.rattle@ntlworld.com)
Date: 03/10/03-05:16:29 PM Z
Like Sandy, I make gum prints because of the pleasure of process, and of
discovery. With resources like this list and the various books, it canšt be
said that I am discovering anything new, but working out personal twists and
methods is very satisfying. The sheer pleasure of mixing, coating, exposing,
developing...
...watching a single thought-about image grow, coat by coat, colour by
colour, over perhaps two or three days, beats watching a thousand churn out
of the inkjet. Carefully choosing pigments and papers that will last for
centuries isnšt hubris, but contains the hope that perhaps one or two of
these images may be thought worth keeping by our children, and even by their
children. I like to give a picture to friends, knowing that it represents an
application of craft, an investment of time, as well as being a reminder of
a shared experience.
And all the time there is a huge territory still to explore. What else can I
do with this flexible technique? A thousand things. And if gum should ever
pall, therešs all the others just waiting to be tried...
Henry
On 8/3/03 3:50 PM, "Sandy King" <sanking@clemson.edu> wrote:
> John,
>
> If others want to use alternative processes as a means of manipulating the
> print, or to make images that look more like abstract drawing and paintings
> than photographs, that is fine with me. In the same way I think that the
> highly manipulated imagery that some people produce with Photoshop, John Paul
> Caponigro for example, is a perfectly valid way to make art.
>
> That is not why I use alternative processes, however. In my own work I want to
> render a richly detailed view of reality that renders the most objective view
> possible of the subject. Dodging, burning and masking are legitimate tools for
> because they enhance tonal values, without otherwise falsifying the
> representation of reality. But I won't add representational imagery from other
> negatives, such as clouds, flying pigs, etc., nor will I eliminate objects and
> things from the image to make it look "prettier."
>
> I use alternative processes, primarily carbon and kallitype, because of the
> ability of these processes to render a longer scale of tonal values than
> silver gelatin prints, and because of the wide range of surface and textural
> qualities that one can achieve in working with different art papers. I would
> also add that I like the element of mystery and uncertainty that comes from
> the process of experimentation and of trying new things. In fact, I am
> probably more driven by the pleasure derived from discovering new ways of
> doing things and working with new materials than by the mere process of image
> making itself. In some respects, then, full control of a process serves to
> diminish the pleasure I get from working with it because much of the joy for
> me is in learning, not repeating.
>
>
> Sandy
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