The Lost Art of Photogravure

AT ITS ORGIN, photography was intimately linked with printmaking. Some folks had been experimenting with light-sensitive materials since the 1810s. Their efforts were motivated by the desire to make stable fixed images directly from nature, or to make "etchings by light."

Photogravure is not a purely photographic medium. Photogravure is a chameleon, encompassing many manifestations of printmaking using a variety of darkroom and etching techniques, and is therefore hard to classify.

It often surprises people that the inventor of photography on paper, William Henry Fox Talbot, was also the father of photogravure... For Talbot, photogravure had been the logical evolution of his original invention of photography; transforming nature's sketches into permanent and beautiful printer's ink.

In photogravure, the fragile silver salts of normal photography are transcribed in the photogravure process with printing ink. This process adds to an appreciated esthetic improvement, the tonal and tactile qualities and the guarantee of absolute permanence. These values have always been recognized as famous photographers of the early 1900's such as Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Steichen, and Paul Strand adopted photogravure with enthusiasm in Camera Notes and Camera Work. It ceased being used after the Second World War because of its cost. It is only recently that a few workshops have revived this old and marvelous process.

"The quality of touch in it's deepest living sense is inherent in my photographs. When that sense of touch is lost, the heartbeat of the photograph is extinct- dead. My interest is in the living" ~ALFRED STIEGLITZ FROM TWICE A YEAR 1938

I recently attended a three day intensive workshop in copper plate Photogravure, thus demystifying the process for me. We started out with an 8"x10" positive image (obtained from a digital image file or scanned negative) on transparency film and used photoshop and a printer to do this. After our image was printed out as a positive, we were ready to begin the very elegant, artful process.

THE FIRST STEP in making a photogravure print is preparing the printing plate. This pure copper plate must be thoroughly cleaned, its surface highly polished, and its edges beveled (to avoid damaging the paper during printing).


WHILE THE PLATE IS BEING READIED, the image is also prepared. A positive transparency is made from either an original negative or a copy negative. This film positive, which must be made the size desired for the final print, is then contact-printed under ultraviolet light to a gelatin-coated paper (known as carbon tissue) which was previously made light sensitive by soaking it in a solution of potassium bichromate, then dried. In this process, the action of the light through the film positive changes the melting temperature of the gelatin. Areas exposed to light have a higher melting temperature and are said to be "hardened" and less exposed areas stay the same.


NEXT THE IMAGE must be transferred to the prepared copper plate. The image-carrying tissue is adhered to the plate. This tissue/plate is then soaked in hot water softening the gelatin and allowing the paper base of the tissue to separate. Portions of the gelatin that received little or no light during exposure to the transparency remain soluble and slowly wash away, leaving a gelatin image that will act as an acid resist when the plate is etched. The gelatin image on the copper plate, now called a resist, is then dried.


NEXT THE PLATE IS placed in a succession of etching baths. Etching begins in sequence in proportion to the thickness of the gelatin coating and the viscosity of the mordant (Ferric Chloride) bath. The viscosity of the Ferric Chloride controls the speed with which the solution penetrates the gelatin. The result is a plate with many minute reservoirs or cells of varying depths. During printing, the deeper cells hold more ink and thus transfer more ink to the paper, creating the darker areas of the image


FINALLY, AFTER THE PLATE has been thoroughly washed, the gravure is printed - on an etching press, like all other forms of intaglio printing. Stiff ink is spread over the entire plate and worked into the recessed areas that form the image. The plate is then positioned face-up on an etching press. The artist places a piece of dampened, high-quality paper over the plate then covers the paper with etching felts for padding and passes this through the press. The rollers force the paper into the small depressions that hold the ink, creating a printed image. To make the next impression, the artist re-inks the plate and repeats the process. At the end of the printing session, the plate is thoroughly cleaned.

This procedure produces "grain" gravures, so called because of the random dots created by the dusted rosin. Photogravure is a time-consuming, labor-intensive, costly process used today by fine-art photographer-printmakers.

References and quotes: http://www.photogravure.com/about/index.html

Art & Science- Anna Atkins Cyanotypes

"Botanical illustration is often seen as a gap between art and science, not properly belonging to either", as mentioned in American Scientist Nov/Dec 2004.

The work of Anna Atkins is surely striking; she is well known for her amazing, Prussian blue-and-white cyanotype prints of seaweeds in her book published in 1843 on British Algae. Cyanotype is an early photographic printing process using the sunlight for contact printing actual objects as photograms on paper. Although Atkins was a competant watercolorist and draughtsman for botanical illustration, she brilliantly applied the cyanotype process to solve the difficulties of making accurate drawings of scientific specimens and self-published the first installment of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions.

Cyanotype is labeled now as an alternative photographic process used by many artists today. I have been playing around with sunprinting using cyanotype chemicals on silk material and also my handmade papers and am totally inspired by the work of Anna Atkins.

The images have an x-ray or MRI type of translucency that is stunningly beautiful against that Prussian blue backround. They are also accurate plant depictions and totally gorgeous!




Photo's of: Cyanotype photograms made by Atkins which was part of her 1843 book, British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions

The Dunes Of Mo'omomi

"AT FIRST GLANCE the dunes of Mo'omomi appear nearly barren. The far cliffs of Mokio are dim in the salt haze, and arid scrub-wind whipped into curious forms-clings tenaciously to the sandy soils. And yet the site is rich in life; indeed, it is a last refuge for Hawaiian coastal vegetation. Within vast, integrated communities of nearly undisturbed native grasses and shrubs grow more rare coastal species than any other single place in the islands. What remains at Mo'omomi is a vestige of a major Hawaiian coastal ecosystem, a holdover from an ancient era.


Here, the shrubby ocean naupaka (Scaevola sericea- the most common of the islands' native coastal plants-shares the coastal strand with a beach morning glory (Ipomoea pescaprae), and with a mix of less frequently seen endemic Hawaiian plants. Carpets of rolling 'aki'aki grasslands provide a stabilized bed in the shifting dunes for a rare native nightshade, Solanum nelsoni.



In exposed patches of red volcanic soil, an endangered beach legume, the 'ohai (Sesbania tomentosa) flaunts its brilliant red flowers set on low-lying branches that seem espaliered by the wind against a backdrop of rocky terrain. No fewer than five globally endangered plant species make their last stand at Mo'omomi.




Among these is a native Gnaphalium, called 'ena'ena by the Hawaiians, that punctuates the sandstone plain with radient white foliage. Its succulent leaves are thickly covered with fine, sun reflecting hairs-a protective strategy common in the parched flats of Mo'omomi.



Another native plant, a heliotrope, forms silvery mats in the lee of consolidated dune crests. Its whorled, diminutive leaves also are clothed with delicate reflective hairs. The heliotrope's Hawaiian name, hinahina, evokes an image of the moon rising fully over an ocean horizon. (In Hawaiian mythology, the moon embodied a goddess, Hina-the mother of the island of Molokai. It seems appropriate that the island chain's best examples of hinahina occur on Molokai.)



Heliotropium growing with Nama sandwicensis, endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and the only member of the Hydrophyllaceae that grows on the archipelago. Its flowers are tiny and dark lavender in color.



Other plants to be found here include the Hawaiian endemic Chamaesyce degeneri, which the Hawaiians call `akoko or just koko. This species belongs to the Euphorbiaceae.



Also abundant among the sand banks is the Hawaiian endemic Lipochaeta integrifolia (Asteraceae). This island endemic genus, referred to in general as nehe in Hawaiian, is represented in the islands by some 20 species.


It is difficult to picture the ancient dry forest that once stood where Mo'omomi's dunes now hold sway. But, from what we know of remnant low-land dry forests at other sites in the Hawaiian islands, a diverse blending of trees with no single dominant species might have existed. Here in the dappled sunlight beneath the forest canopy, honks of giant flightless geese once joined the chorus of the ocean waves. Today the dunes and their specialized flora distinguish Mo'omomi, and the sands have preserved the area's singular fossils and artifacts...

The coastline of the Hawaiian islands perhaps have seen more change than any other biological zone in the entire chain. No wonder so many people regard saving Mo'omomi as a rare opportunity to preserve a living portion of the past for the future. The Hawaiian green sea turtles attempting to recolonize here are a hopeful sign that the coastal dunes can endure, even recover, if we acknowledge their significance with action." ~Samuel M. Gon III, The Dunes of Mo'omomi, article featured in The Nature Conservancy News Feb/March 1987

Photo's by: Bruce A. Bohm
Photo of 'ohai by: Kim & Forest Starr

My Paper Sculpture Portfolio

"Maliko Gulch" 13 1/2 x 6 x 3- Handmade papers cast over a winter melon and embellished with layered leaves sewn up each side and unspun sheeps wool to finish off the rim.

" ipu heke 'ole" 15 1/2 x 14 x 12- Decorated paper vessel handcast from a Hawaiian gourd once used as a drum to accompany the Hula dance.

Embellished with seeds sewn up each side and unspun silk fibers finishes off the rim.

"Stilt Basket" 15 x 5 1/2 x 4 1/2- Paper vessel handcast from a honeydew melon, positioned on bamboo stilts and embellished with dyed orange fibers.

"Medicine Bowl" 7 x 7 1/4 x 8 1/2- Paper vessel handcast from a squash. A 4 piece plaster of paris mould was needed to cast the elaborate shape of the squash. Unspun tresses of camel hair adorn the rim.

Hand Cast Paper Sculptures

Hand cast paper bowl.



Another view of the paper bowl.

After much deliberation, my handmade paper bowls, vessels and sculptures are starting to manifest. I had some technical difficulties along the way and the weather was counteractive in the drying process. But here we are.

With my handsaw and clippers I ventured into the wilderness to harvest some of the grasses, leaves, flower stalks and inner bark from the plants and trees that I would be needing. I collect only from plants that are growing in abundance and have plenty to share.

Then the cooking process- about 6 -8 hours simmering on an outdoor burner in a caustic solution, then to rinse and wash in preparation for the relentless beating of the fibers. Each batch of cooked plants is beaten with a wooden mallot on a wooden cutting board for approximately 4 hours. The beaten fibers are then further cut up into smaller pieces and small handfuls are put into a kitchen blender with water and blended, repeating the blending process about 15-20x or until an entire vat is filled with pulp. Using my papermaking screen and deckle, sheets of wet papers are lifted out of the vat and set aside.

In the weeks previous, was the production of the plaster of paris moulds. For several weeks I would bring my equipment down to the beach- a bucket, the plaster powder, a couple of gourds, squashes and other fruits that have interesting shapes......I would bury the gourd halfway into the damp beach sand, mix the plaster in my bucket using ocean water and pour the mixture over the gourd, wait about an hour to set up and then flip it over and pour plaster on the other side.

After the plaster mould is bone dry I press freshly lifted, wet sheets of paper on the inside of the plaster mould. I use many different kinds of papers to get different tones and textures. When the papers inside the mould are dried, I pull the 2 piece mould apart and release the handcast vessel, a paper replica of the model that was used to make the mould.

This little piece pictured above is a paper replica of a pomegranite! The plant materials that I used to make the papers that went into this are, spider lily stalks, bird of paradise flower stalks, trunk of a banana plant, and the dark brown flecks are dried philodendron flower sheaths. I also put a PVA glue substance into the paper pulp vat so that when the paper piece dries it will be hardened. It looks delicate, but really, it is quite hard and durable. The tactile qualities of the plants really shine through in these hand cast pieces. I have more of these to come- some much larger and more intricate, we'll see what happens here.

Arbor Day

Wiliwili, Erythrina sandwicensis

Arbor Day is a day to recognize and plant trees. Trees are the most massive, longest lived, and tallest organisms ever to inhabit earth. Trees support more communities of living things than any other organism on earth. Trees are our greatest natural resource. November is the month that we celebrate Arbor Day in Hawaii, usually the second saturday of the month.

The Maui Nui Botanical Gardens hosts the celebration on Maui and in honor of the event, give away many hundreds of trees. And these are not just trees, they are all indigenous, some endemic and endangered Hawaiian species that are rare and hard to find. 

http://www.mnbg.org/home.html

 

A Celebration Of Tree Planters Around The World:

Arbor Day is also celebrated in other countries including Australia. Variations are celebrated as 'Greening Week' of Japan, 'The New Year's Days of Trees' in Israel, 'The Tree-loving Week' of Korea, 'The Reforestation Week' of Yugoslavia, 'The Students' Afforestation Day' of Iceland and 'The National Festival of Tree Planting' in India.

It seems that now, this time in our history, the world has a growing common concern; our environment. One of my favorite tree notations reguarding Wangari Maathai, known as the "Tree Woman" of Kenya, founder of the Green Belt Movement, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2004, responsible for the planting of over 30 million trees,
“Peace on earth depends on our ability to secure our living environment.”
Amen!!

Tension

Original Oil crayon drawing on Rives BFK hotpress drawing paper 19" x 24"
This is one of a series of drawings that I did in the early '80's after reading newspaper articles concerning the tension in the middle east.

"All art can be placed somewhere along a political spectrum, supporting one set of class interests or another, actively or passively, at the very least supporting existing conditions by ignoring other possibilities, silence giving consent." M. Stevens