Complimentary Colors

Tonight, I start a long, difficult process of actively using this blog and its mirror site as a means of communicating my artistic practice. It’s been a busy couple of months.

Not just teaching. The anthotypes are maturing in approach and content. I am getting influenced by the painter in my life and other painters in my life. I think all the rubbings on the Vermont pieces were influenced by Bridgette and I viewing the Gerhardt Richter video. Somewht related, when someone mentions complimentary colors to you in a hallway based upon seeing an instagram picture of a work in progress…I better take heed. Rebecca Sargent, thank you.

Exhbition news minus pictures.

The Ino Town, Japan show ended last week. The platinum palladium prints on the Tosa Washi may travel to Kyoto. Stay tuned.

Three anthotypes are on view in Columbus as part of the Ohio Art League Fall Juried Show.

Three anthotypes are on view in Fixed Shadow at Wright State University.

One anthotype (the double exposure one) will be on display in the Soho Photo Gallery Alternative Photography competition.

I will upload pictures of the work, possibly even exhibition documentation in the next few weeks. In the meantime, how about an early image of a work in progress? Complimentary Clot in Saffron, photographed October 21st. 

Red Tulip part II

The two red tulip anthotypes were exposed for about the same amount of time. I estimate about nine days give or take a rain day. 

If you look at the lower right corner you can see rain did make its presence known despite wrapping the "contraption" in plastic. The contraption is usually a thin sheet of OSB, the paper coated with pigment, the garment, and Plexiglass all held together by spring clamps. The spring clamps show up occasionally around the periphery of the finished anthotype. Bridgette has described them as giving the finished piece a rhythm. I use to hate the artifacts they left behind, now I am kind of digging them. 

This anthotype was made with the same emulsion as the "Little Gown" anthotype but I kept the red tulip color by adding a bit of citric acid to the emulsion. Normally this paper (Arches Cover) and Fabriano Artistico have a bit of buffer that pushes the color to the blue end of the spectrum. Flower pigments act as a pH indicator for naturalists. I have even made purple iris pigment red. 

This is "Red Tulip (acidic) Peignoir #1". 51" (H) x 42" (w).

Speaking of iris pigment. I raided the last ones today. I have a bit frozen away and two sheets already coated one of which is exposing right now. I see plenty of purple gowns, peignoirs and pajamas in the future.