0 comment Monday, April 21, 2014 | admin
During October 2010 and February 2011, The V & A museum in London hosted an exhibition of experimental photograms. The exhibition was named Shadow Catchers, and was dedicated to camera-less photography.
I had stumbled upon Floris Neusüss and his thunderstorm print on tumblr, and was excited to find out more.
This piece of light-sensitive paper was left in a garden overnight, during a thunderstorm. You can physically see the chaos of natural forces playing out over the print.
My favourite artist from this exhibition, was Susan Derges. Derges had a similar approach to Neusüss, by leaving a piece of light sensitive paper between layers of ice.
However, Derges also made some intriguing photograms of tadpoles in a glass jar over varying points in their lifespan.
To an unsuspecting viewer, the glass jar could be a petri dish, and the light source could be from the base of a microscope.
This "chemigram" by Pierre Cordier has been described as being like "a nucleus of energy before the Big Bang". This is because the print is deliciously ambiguous, it could just as easily be viewed as a microbe as it could a giant volatile planet.
Garry Fabian Miller's work seems very astrological on outset.
This digital print, named "The Night Cell", could be a photograph of the night sky, as viewed through a telescope, however Fabian Miller's work is actually the result of many controlled experiments and sequences.
This exhibition has greatly inspired my own work, as between the collection of artists, there is a relationship between chaos and order. Neusüss and Derges allow the elements to decide when and where light can touch the paper, whereas Garry Fabian Miller produces many prints, tweaking a tried and tested method each time, with much more of a handle on the final outcome.
You can view many more pictures, and find out much more about the Shadow Catchers exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum website.
I had stumbled upon Floris Neusüss and his thunderstorm print on tumblr, and was excited to find out more.
This piece of light-sensitive paper was left in a garden overnight, during a thunderstorm. You can physically see the chaos of natural forces playing out over the print.My favourite artist from this exhibition, was Susan Derges. Derges had a similar approach to Neusüss, by leaving a piece of light sensitive paper between layers of ice.
However, Derges also made some intriguing photograms of tadpoles in a glass jar over varying points in their lifespan.To an unsuspecting viewer, the glass jar could be a petri dish, and the light source could be from the base of a microscope.
This "chemigram" by Pierre Cordier has been described as being like "a nucleus of energy before the Big Bang". This is because the print is deliciously ambiguous, it could just as easily be viewed as a microbe as it could a giant volatile planet.
Garry Fabian Miller's work seems very astrological on outset.
This digital print, named "The Night Cell", could be a photograph of the night sky, as viewed through a telescope, however Fabian Miller's work is actually the result of many controlled experiments and sequences.This exhibition has greatly inspired my own work, as between the collection of artists, there is a relationship between chaos and order. Neusüss and Derges allow the elements to decide when and where light can touch the paper, whereas Garry Fabian Miller produces many prints, tweaking a tried and tested method each time, with much more of a handle on the final outcome.
You can view many more pictures, and find out much more about the Shadow Catchers exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum website.
Labels: Photograms, Photography, Shadowcatchers Exhibition, Victoria And Albert Museum
0 comment Tuesday, April 15, 2014 | admin
Pierre Cordier is the inventor of the "Chemigram" and a Cliche Verre practitioner.Cordiers' definition of "Chemigram" means "to write with chemistry".
To make a Chemigram you would paint with various chemicals (Cordier used nail polish, egg, varnish, wax and oil amongst other materials), expose to light and then develop as usual.
(When using this technique myself, I found painting directly on to photosensitive paper to be problematic, as the developing chemicals get muddy. Painting on to a transparent material first would prevent this.)
The chemigram has such artistic potential, so many materials could be used to paint with.
Additionally, the painting does not need to be "stuck", a transparent container could be used to try lots of compositions with interesting chemicals.
The V & A has published a great video about Pierre Cordier and his invention, as he was part of the "Shadow Catchers" exhibition.
It is interesting to learn that though the photography world welcomed Cordier with open arms, he is still yet to be accepted as a painter.
To make a Chemigram you would paint with various chemicals (Cordier used nail polish, egg, varnish, wax and oil amongst other materials), expose to light and then develop as usual.
(When using this technique myself, I found painting directly on to photosensitive paper to be problematic, as the developing chemicals get muddy. Painting on to a transparent material first would prevent this.)
The chemigram has such artistic potential, so many materials could be used to paint with.
Additionally, the painting does not need to be "stuck", a transparent container could be used to try lots of compositions with interesting chemicals.
The V & A has published a great video about Pierre Cordier and his invention, as he was part of the "Shadow Catchers" exhibition.
It is interesting to learn that though the photography world welcomed Cordier with open arms, he is still yet to be accepted as a painter.
Labels: Cameraless Photography, Chemigram, Chemistry, Paint, Painting, Photogram, Photography, Pierre Cordier, Shadowcatchers Exhibition, Victoria And Albert Museum
0 comment Wednesday, April 9, 2014 | admin
On the blog, Thinking Through Things I discovered an artist called Shikai Tseng who has just graduated from MA Design Products at The Royal College Of Art.Tseng says:
"PhotoGraphy" project is the creation of a process in which the environment, time and light react to each other and generate images on three-dimensional objects. The 1st series is about coating objects with a "light-sensitive" layer, put in a black box with strategically placed pinholes, and exposed for 5 to 50 minutes depending on the brightness of the environment. It is a new way to capture a moment in time, no matter whether the image on the object is focused or losing focus � the object will carry the trace of its first moments of experience, its first exposure."
As an artist, I have been experimenting with different photogram techniques and have explored the V & A Shadow Catchers exhibition with great interest. Camera-less photography is something that really captures my imagination, so I am pleased to see natural light-exposure being used in sculpture.
Labels: Artist, Ma Design Products, Photography, Royal College Of Art, Shadowcatchers Exhibition, Shikai Tseng, Victoria And Albert Museum