Got to love SketchUp! This free software from Google is great for planning out exhibition layouts and has been a life saver when trying to visualise how displayed work will look in a particular space. It's been particularly useful for both my professional practice and exhibiting other students work so I definitely recommend!
While I have yet to successfully utilise the facilities at the University of Northampton as I am still learning its quirks, here are some experimental studies when layering photographs to explore indexical transparency and the photographic frame. Hopefully there will be more to follow soon!
Michael Schaaff led the workshop for wet plate collodion and clearly demonstrated his depth of skill and experience in the technique. It was great to see the level of dedication he gave to his practice from sourcing the materials to the occasional DIY large format camera or dark box; something I've considered myself. I found the whole process in perfect balance between science and art where the photographer really exhibits a labour of love to prepare these plates.
While I can understand that unpredictable results may yield a certain level of frustration, it is the element of surprise and happy accidents that I look forward to harnessing in my photographic practice. As a printmaker and photographer, I value the imperfection that has been lost in digital media and the idea of the craftsman perfecting their craft.
Overall, the process was complex and will probably require a couple of workshops before attempting myself but I look forward to when I do. It was a great way to network with other practicing artists and photographers in the local area and I look forward to similar opportunities in the future.
See Michael Schaaf's website on wet plate collodion HERE
Photographs courtesy of workshop attendees - Kate Genever and David Neve
As it was sunny day, I decided to take advantage of the weather and produce some work. I had some fogged photographic paper and wanted to give Lumen prints a try. I found that using black and white paper produced stronger results compared to colour paper and was surprised by the bleaching from the fixer. In retrospect, these prints would have benefitted from a longer exposure as they can be left for hours, even days.
It's been a month since I last posted so I decided to check my web stats today. Lo and behold, I discover that I've been blogged about which is a great compliment! While my art practice is on pause at the moment, it is very encouraging to see that people find it interesting enough to take the time to write about it. I'm looking forward to when I am able to make new work and the old brain is certainly ticking over exciting possibilities even now. Please check out the links below: