RE: Learning a new process

Katherine,

I concur with your observations about the lack of gum workshops. It's odd
really since it seems to be an amazing process. I was equally dumfounded
last weekend at the SF Moma show on early photography. Unless I counted
incorrectly, I only saw ONE gum print. Since this was a personal collection
I can understand how the collector may have been biased, but seems to me
that even an astute collector focusing on early photographic history
wouldn't haven't ignored a major piece of history,or would he?

My suggestion to Bill was geared more to learning the cyanotype process
which I and others hopes he will start with instead of gum. I know you may
disagree, but seems to me there is a lot to learn about enlarged negatives,
papers, uv sources/exposure, etc., etc. before jumping into the cult of gum.

I and 8 other wet plate artists have been trying to work with 2 newbies to
this process via email and discussion lists. After several months they are
both frustrated, don't have more then one or two salvageable images, and
have wasted a lot of time and chemistry (money). We couldn't convince either
of them to wait for a workshop :-( In contrast, I just took 7 students
through a one-day workshop and all of them have the basic skills to move
forward and most left with 2 good images. Perhaps I'm wrong, but seems to me
that gum has a technical side that requires some higher level cognitive
skills and technical competences. From a learning perspective, neither are
easily garnished from reading. Experimenting will work if they have a lot of
time and persistence, but not always the most rewarding.

Mark

-----Original Message-----
From: Katharine Thayer [mailto:kthayer@pacifier.com]
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 3:17 AM
To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
Subject: Re: Learning a new process

Good advice Mark, except unless you know something I don't know, there
aren't a lot of workshops available in gum, which is the process Bill
expressed interested in. Photographers' Formulary's workshop is over
for this year, and if Bill gets some materials and starts working on his
own, he could have mastered gum and be teaching his own workshops by the
time the next one comes around.

I know there's interest, because I'm always being asked if I will do gum
workshops, but I sure don't see a lot of announcements or ads for gum
workshops coming across my desk.

Katharine

D. Mark Andrews wrote:
>
> Bill,
>
> You no doubt have received many postings about your question, but I'm a
bit
> surprised that no one has pushed the advantages of a workshop. Many on
this
> list will tell you that you can teach yourself most processes, and I
suspect
> that is true to some degree, but you will most likely meet your goals much
> faster, with less frustration, and with a lot less money if you gain some
> first-hand guidance. Here are three good reasons:
>
> 1. Analytically, there are a lot of variables to monitor with alt
processes
> which usually comes into play when something isn't going right. Having
some
> base of guided learning will accelerate these capabilities. Basically, you
> learn from you own mistakes and those of others in the workshop with
someone
> to explain what's going on (e.g. why are my cyanotype images mottled)
>
> 2. Most "techniques" are best learned by seeing and doing. Most folks can
> learn to coat pretty well with a glass rod after a few observations,
tries,
> and remediation. I can't imagine it that it takes anyone less than 30
> minutes on their own.
>
> 3. Many of your early decisions, especially about equipment, will have an
> significant impact on your future success. For example, you mention
> purchasing a Nu-Arc. Hmm, is this right for you? How do you know? You can
> build you own light box or buy one from Edwards or Photographer's
Formulary.
> Workshops often have different pieces of equipment to try out. My platinum
> workshop had both a Nu-Arc and Edwards box. But even if they don't, you
have
> other participants to talk with about their experiences which will help to
> guide your decisions.
>
> In short, look initially for a one-day workshop to introduce you to a
> process. This is usually enough time to get you started. You can continue
> then to work on your own.
>
> Mark
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bill King [mailto:bill@billkingphoto.com]
> Sent: Saturday, August 13, 2005 7:34 PM
> To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
> Subject: Learning a new process
>
> I've been struggling with my notions of photography, art, and craft over
the
> past few years, and I would love to ask the list for some advice.
>
> Looking over the pictures I've taken over the past ten years, I can see an
> evolution of style and technique. My early photographs showed glimmers of
> originality, but those glimmers were usually overcome by technical issues
> (learning how film sees differently from my eyes) and too heavy an
influence
> of David Muench. Many pictures were well-lit, well-composed, perhaps even
> lovely, but they were not art. They were all-too-often copies of others'
> art or style.
>
> Since 2002, I've really struggled to take pictures; I've been doing battle
> with the dreaded Block. My photos have felt emptier and emptier. I have
> felt like I wasn't expressing myself, my own vision, my own sense of
> emotion. I have felt too removed from the final product - as though I was
> capturing something rather than creating it. I guess I've felt distanced
> from both art (expressing my personal vision) and craft (the process of
> creation).
>
> And so I basically began reading in place of creating. I read books about
> philosophy, art, photography, woodworking, ceramics, pottery, the craft of
> writing, etc., etc. Perhaps the break from shooting cliches and the
> exposure to so many different sources helped further my notions of art and
> craft. Certainly, I feel now that I have a much better idea of what I'm
> trying to accomplish - I have a much better sense of what I'm trying to
> communicate and display in my work now.
>
> So over the past few months, I've had the camera out a little more often,
> and I'm feeling much better about what I'm capturing. Artistically, I'm
> feeling like I've been making some progress. But yet it still seems a bit
> on the empty side. I guess I still feel like I'm missing the notion of
> craft in my photography. I want to shape and knead these captured images
> into beautiful prints that have the essence, and texture, and richness of
my
> imagination, but I do not have the skills or training to do this. I want
to
> put my imprint on the final product, and I'm feeling wholly unsatisfied
> watching the final product roll off an inkjet printer.
>
> So my rather simplistic sounding question is this: how do you recommend
> learning an alt-photo process from scratch? From what I can tell, gum
> printing looks like it would be a great way to begin realizing the visions
> in my head. I have lots of reading material about gums, and certainly
this
> list is a great resource, and I have a decent intellectual notion about
how
> to accomplish it, but I'm wondering where to make the next step - the step
> to take action.
>
> Unlike learning to draw, it's hard to run over to the local community
> college and take a class on gum printing. I'm not aware of anyone in my
> area doing gum printing. So, it's a big outlay, but do I just buy a
Nu-Arc,
> nice scale, good paints, paper, chemicals, gum, etc. and go at it on my
own?
> Would this be a little too risky, a little too unsupported? Or might it
be
> the most rewarding way to go about it? Would I be best served by
traveling
> to a workshop or two to get me started? Are there mentors to be found?
(I
> live in Northern Arizona.) Should I find a BFA/MFA program, where I could
a
> find a mentor and immerse myself in art and craft for a few years?
>
> I know that this is a rather personal question, and I apologize if it's
> unanswerable. I've been feeling a bit stuck and I thought perhaps
throwing
> my question out to a wider audience might help. Thanks for helping the
> artist and craftsperson in me emerge.
>
> Bill
Received on Mon Aug 15 12:32:48 2005