Printing on Old Paper - NY Times

[Pete Roody]

The NY Times has a picture story on prints made with old papers:

http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/05/28/alison-rossiter-paper-wait/?hpw&rref=t-magazine&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well


The Photos are captioned with the paper used:

“Eastman Kodak Velox, expired 1922, processed 2013,”

[Peter Lewin]

I don't understand what she is doing. It does not appear that she has projected or contact printed any images on the paper, and some of the images seem too unfogged for paper that old. What are we looking at?

[Tin Can]

I don't understand what she is doing. It does not appear that she has projected or contact printed any images on the paper, and some of the images seem too unfogged for paper that old. What are we looking at?

Says right there they are not photographs.

Aged and distressed wet processed FB paper. Some are 'Photograms'. Ever look at a pile of old photo paper as it ages in light without processing, same thing.

Authentic new twist.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Good grief! I have a few of those, but worse on me, one of my brothers used to pull choice pieces from my darkroom trash. As Randy mentioned, partly fixed, silvered, partially solarized. I wonder if he still has them.
.

[BarryS]

The MoCP in Chicago had a nice small show of Alison Rossiter's work. The way she addresses time, aging, and the history of photographic materials is interesting and original.

[andy]

I saw the work at yossi milo in nyc, and they're amazingly beautiful. Super subtle at times, and worth seeing in person.

[bob carnie]

I saw the work in Toronto at Stephen Bulger gallery. I am not sure if she is the same person who years ago painted onto silver emulsion with a small flash light.. I think if not Alison was inspired by these light paintings.

[Jim Noel]

My Velox which was dated to expire in 1932 still shows no fog. In fact, I used it to make some proofs this week.

[Ginette]

I saw the work in Toronto at Stephen Bulger gallery. I am not sure if she is the same person who years ago painted onto silver emulsion with a small flash light.. I think if not Alison was inspired by these light paintings.

Yes probably the same person from what she said in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtoS66kX3Bk
Also another one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyUh7kJEegI where she explaining her work with old papers. You can feel the love and respect that she have for the old photographic papers that was treated as the object by itself.
I like her minimalist approach, it is more a poetic than a photographic work.
I saw some originals recently at the Montréal Papier Art Fair where Stephen Bulger Gallery presents some of the gallery artists.
Seeing originals always give a better feeling if you have the chance to do.

[letchhausen]

Francois and Daniel Cartier have been doing something similar though their work is more performative. They put the old papers on the gallery wall and let the sun expose it during the exhibition. Some they fix and some the let change over time. The colors are amazing from old black and white paper:

http://www.fdcartier.ch/

PDF of their exhibition Wait and See:

http://www.fdcartier.ch/images/WAITANDSEE10SHEETSPDF.pdf

I actually got a tattoo from one of their images on my arm though it was difficult to find a tattoo artist that would do it. Some were worried about their reputation for making something so abstract that you couldn't tell if it was a good tattoo or not or they didn't trust their ability to work outside the pictorial. Then I found a woman who was more...art oriented. It's a piece of Kodak paper from ca 1905....(central image on the second to last row of the pdf).

[bob carnie]

Thanks Ginette

Both you and I will obviously love Alison's work as your use of old paper to create those wonderful creations and my use of solarization on silver paper is very much in keeping with this sort of print making.
Yes she is the person who's work I saw over 10 years ago at Stephens gallery. I would love to own one of her flashlight magic pieces.
I hope some of the paper we traded is making some new great images... I am about to make some tri colour solarizations that will blow your mind.

Tell your friends (in Montreal) that Steve Sherman and I will be hosting a workshop in Toronto over new years.. totally orientated to alternative creative printmaking methods.

Bob


Yes probably the same person from what she said in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtoS66kX3Bk
Also another one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyUh7kJEegI where she explaining her work with old papers. You can feel the love and respect that she have for the old photographic papers that was treated as the object by itself.
I like her minimalist approach, it is more a poetic than a photographic work.
I saw some originals recently at the Montréal Papier Art Fair where Stephen Bulger Gallery presents some of the gallery artists.
Seeing originals always give a better feeling if you have the chance to do.

[scheinfluger_77]

I like the first one the best, it's the most expressive in my view. The rest of them fall flat.

[Tin Can]

Like any print, I am sure 'in person' they look much better.

I really like any I have seen online and the serendipitous versions I have seen in my darkroom from aging film and paper. Film does the same thing.

It is a precious historical view of a transient state. unless 'fixed'...

And now I know any aged film and paper has usage and purpose. I regret watching 100 sheets of badly stored paper age as I watched in curiosity for weeks...then I tossed it. It could have been a flip book movie.

[tpersin]

Alison spoke at the 2014 F295 symposium and delivered a terrific lecture and is very knowledgeable and passionate about her materials, process, and product.

[Eric Biggerstaff]

This is similar to what Ray McSavaney had done for decades. He used not only expired paper but fresh paper that he made mistakes with, and simply left it out in the light. He would then dip it into developer and let the developer run or pool in areas of the paper, then fix it. Once it goes into the fix then the tones and patterns reveal themselves. He used the sheets as backdrops for his floral photographs, which are very beautiful. Over the years I have had a lot of fun with the technique and actually did a series of them. Don't throw those mistakes in the can! Keep them and have some fun.

This is not new by any means but she certainly has a great collection of paper to play with and he has created some lovely work, a great imagination for sure.

[bob carnie]

I am going to buy one of her prints .. Its one of the horses painted with a flashlight ... I really like this series and want to own a print , Bulger gallery is putting one aside for me.