Paul Caponigro

**Duane Polcou** · 3-Jan-2006, 00:50

For those of you who have access to large bookstores (Barnes and Noble, Borders) do check out this month's issue of Down East magazine (a Maine travel journal). It features an article and portfolio of Paul Caponigro (legendary 4x5 black and white practitioner whose Celtic monolith work is truly about as good as it gets IMHO).

**Bill_1856** · 3-Jan-2006, 08:13

Thanks, Duane. Caponigro has always been one of my favorites. I love my Stonehenge print. For Christmas I gave myself a copy of his new book "New England Days," which I found rather disappointing. The new images appear to be just a rehashing of his very early work; I hope he hasn't "burned out."

**Eric Biggerstaff** · 3-Jan-2006, 11:28

I found New England Days a wonderful book, the equal of any of his others. Like Michael said, it has both old and new so you get a taste of both.

I don't think he is burned out, his new work is lovely and draws me like few others can. His image "Two Pears" is incredible in real life, perhaps the most beautiful black and white image I have ever seen.

Thanks for the post, as a big Caponigro fan I will check out the magazine.

**Bill_1856** · 3-Jan-2006, 11:58

Yes, I know that the book contains both old and new images. They are all lovely, but it concerns me that I can't tell the new from the old without a visit to the index. My friend, who is a Caponigro affectionato, likes the new work even better. Of all the great B&W printers, I think that Caponigro's are the most luminous.

**Eric Biggerstaff** · 3-Jan-2006, 13:15

Nuts! My local Barnes & Noble doesn't stock this magazine ( just SW regional). Oh well, I am sure it is a great article.

Thanks anyway.

**Jerry Flynn** · 4-Jan-2006, 10:41

A minor nitpick: Caponigro has used mostly 5X7 from the time he was working on the neolithic monuments - he thought the elongated proportion fit the stones better.

Also as a sidelight, he shot color for years along side his B&W work. They never seemed to catch on, but show up from time-to-time on Ebay.

As to his prinitng technique, there is a thin book called "Voice of the Print" that gives some of his theory on printing. It is a catalog that accompanied an exhibit back in the 90's where, in some instances, pairs of prints that were printed at different times were shown together. The discussion is pretty abstract, but the appendix shows what papers, developers, toners, etc. he used. Some of the differences would be very subtle, indeed. There are two versions of "Voice of the Print". One is a folio of reproductions, the other is the catalog with more reproductions and the text the discussion (it has more pages).