Whats the damage…..
Well so far I have about 400 4x5” negatives for this project, ouch thats eight boxes of film and god knows how many hours invested on just exposing the film. Thats not included time it took to create each plate, scanning in each negative and general research time. I still have yet to actually print many of these, obviously I wont be using all of them. I will probably be using 15 to twenty in the end. So that means it is just about time to start editing them down, going through contact sheets, cropping, marking and saving notes on each one. It will actually be a nice change of pace to be honest.
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, steel, glue and film
Just about done…..
So I have just about finished making images for Controlled Abstraction: Time and Space, it is really hard to know when to stop though I always just wanna try that one more just incase. Anyways, I still have hundreds to share huzzah! Hopefully this is our final lockdown so I can get back to actually having the three shows that were postponed over the past year, fingers crossed!
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, steel, glue and film
Most photographers hate dust…
Most photographers hate dust, I hate it when scanning my negatives or in the darkroom and those tiny hairs drive me insane! However as an artist who uses photography I embrace it for this project. It helps add to the “space-scape” and I can’t avoid it, I expose my negatives in open air as in they are sitting bare on a metal plate being subjected to many different forms of exposure. Worth noting with this image and many of my others the small and large white specs are actually sand and carbon.
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, sand, alcohol, ink, steel, glue and film
Nothing to see here…….
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, steel, glue and film
The beginning is the end is the beginning…..
Or maybe “this has all happened before and it will all happen again” One is a music quote the other is a book, film/tv quote. Not that I would title this image or any other of my work either of these, they are just what comes to mind when I look at it.
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, cork and film
Super massive …. white hole?
Going to be trying something new tomorrow, will either look the same or be totally different.
It’s funny, I have been creating black and white images of space that at the moment I can only imagine space in black and white with a strange 1920’s film vignette filter. Will be interesting to see what I can create in the same style with colour film ……
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, steel, glue and film
Can you hear it?
If a star explodes in a galaxy and nobody is around to hear it does it make a sound? Actually no …. no it doesn’t, sorry the movies lied to you, no pew pew lasers either ;)
This is another one that I enjoy but find to be a bit too busy or cluttered……..
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, steel, glue and film
Plan 9? What about Plan 1-8?
So I have been getting loads done with new images and general work in the darkroom. So may be coming close to the “end” of image making portion of this project. I have created roughly 300 negatives over the past year, so yea I don’t know, just starting to feel as if I have beaten my ideas to to death. Not yet though, so in the meantime here is Planet Unknown #5.
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, steel, glue and film
Anomaly in the darkroom….
Spatial anomaly or just an anomaly that happened in the darkroom while working on creating stars and nebulas. May be a bit too splatty busy.
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, cork and film
Enceladus wannabe…..
Planet Unknown #4, this one came out pretty cool . Reminds me of images of geysers erupting into space on Saturns moon Enceladus
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, steel, glue and film
Onward and outward…..
The discoveries continue with Planet Unknown 3, there is definitely something pleasing about the form and texture with these.
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, cork, steel, glue and film
Planet Unknown…..
So I have been going through many images and finding which ones work better close up as just my creative visualisation of an unknown planet. Here we Planet Unknown #2, I enjoy the simplicity of these and I think that is why they work so well. They aren’t overly cluttered or embellished by trying to create the view of a solar system or spacial event. They are also created with simple materials, well maybe not the light source since it’s a tiny explosion but otherwise just cork, steel, glue and ink.
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, cork, steel, glue and film
Close-up of a “planet”
Planet Unknown #1
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, steel, glue and film
Planets and stars and black holes oh my.
Trying a few things for making close up’s of planets and suns now, lets see how it goes starting with this “unknown system 1” eh?
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, steel, glue and film
Work, the work ….
Now I am working on just “planets” trying to get the tone and texture has proven a bit tricky with how I expose the negative to the plate. When the explosion flashes and exposes the negative the light doesn’t always go in the direction you would like or anticipate. And while it may seem that (or more wishful thinking) a flash of light would have equal exposure across the plate …. It doesn’t. Also other raised bits on the plate block and shift the light, so while I can control where the explosion goes off I can’t control the lights direction or intensity. I am however finding ways to work with the unpredictability of the materials and have had success here and there, which I will be showing over the coming days and weeks.
So what comes after the impact?
Speeding through the void to a distant world with the intent to make an impact.....
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, cork, steel, glue and film
Just doesn’t cut it……
Well they can't all be winners can they? One of my early attempts at creating a "planet" using the Cliche Verre technique. It does have some redeeming factors and does have a planet vibe, but I don't think it quite cuts it for me. What do you think?
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, cork and film
Movement within a still image...
I find it interesting with allot of these that the focus moves in and out at various points. I know why it does it, but just enjoy the movement it creates in a camera-less created still image.
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, steel, glue and film
Just another brick in the…. project.
Time and space continues ............. would you like to know more?
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, steel, cork, glue and film
You were always on my mind….
I have created a lot of similar images to this one. Trying new ideas and techniques to get as much subtle detail within the "planet" circle. But still every time I look at any one of them my brain goes "Thats no moon ........ thats a space station!"
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, steel, glue, ink, and film