Gelatin Silver Print (GSP) All
my photographic work is archivally processed Gelatin Silver Print. Gelatin is an organic
material used to make the emulsion of photographic paper. Light-sensitive silver grains
are suspended in this emulsion, which coats a paper base. When an "exposure" is
made, certain areas of the print are blocked from the light while other areas are
"exposed" to the light. In "processing," silver struck by light will
turn metallic and thus be dark. In areas that receive no light the silver will be washed
away during processing rendering that area of the print white. Areas that receive a lot of
light will be black, while an in-between amount of light will render various tones of
gray.
Photogram
A photographic image made without a camera or "negative." Rather than a
negative, usually placed in an enlarger, physical materials, such as bones or translucent
squirt guns, are placed on light-sensitive paper, which block the light to varying
degrees, depending on the exposure. With the right amount of exposure, areas of the print
that are not blocked from the light will become black during development, while areas
completely blocked will remain white. Areas receiving in-between amounts of light will
result in various tones of gray (see above GSP). In my work, I sometimes use this process
in combination with negatives, in which case the physical objects placed on the paper will
also block the negative image from being exposed in that area. See below in example
from the Chichén Itzá series.
Multiple
Print In much of my photographic work, the image is achieved by making several
exposures before processing the print (GSP). Negatives are exposed, and/or objects laid on the light-sensitive paper, and sometimes moved or added to for various
exposures (photogram), all in the darkroom. Nothing is seen until the print is processed,
which can make alignment a challenge. For example, in the Chichén Itzá series,
pictured to the right, there were six different exposures to light before the print
was processed,
rendering these pieces unique and one-of-a-kind, as is all my work.
Collage
Another, more physical, method I use to create multiple imagery is collage, where several
photographs are actually torn and pasted together. The "white" of the torn edge
is a result of the emulsion separating from the base of the paper. The tearing is
carefully planned and incorporated into the final visual. A montage is created when a
negative is made of the original collage and printed on a single piece of light-sensitive
paper. The "Mud, Blood, Stone and Bone" series are all large, original,
one-of-a-kind collages. The physicality of the torn edge is present in the piece. In this
series, the center of the image is generated from exposing negatives, while the border is
created through the photogram process (see definition above).
Montage By printing on a
single piece of paper, from a copy negative made from an original collage, a montage is
created. This is the method used to achieve multiple images, as the original
is one-of-a-kind. In my work, a quality montage would necessarily
be smaller than the original.
Archival Archival is a
photographic term which relates to permanence. All my work is processed archivally. During
processing, the exposed silver in the emulsion is changed to metallic silver and areas not
exposed to light are washed away. Work that is archival has been created from quality
materials and processed in a manner to render the image stable. My
photographic work is selenium, and often sepia toned, a process which
visually deepens the image and lends permanence to the photograph. Beyond its visual beauty,
a black and white, photographic image can be created to last indefinitely with this
careful process.
Installation
In addition to a "photographic reality," often my work involves a more physical,
sculptural component, in which the viewer/participant is invited to "enter" the
piece. An example of this is the installation "Axis Mundi" pictured here.
Photographic imagery triggers memory of lived experience. The photogram brings this one
step closer to physical reality. I extend this concept further in an installation piece,
in which a viewer/participant has a physical experience as well as mental/emotional.
