This week was the last session of the workshop in cyanotype and tri-colour gum bichromate printing making. The course took place at Spike Print Studios in Bristol and was led by the artist and master printer Martyn Grimmer. We started with generating cyanotypes using digital negatives, then moved on to the highly specialised process of multi-colour gum printing. Each week we added another layer, first yellow, then red, then blue. At the end, some of us who had extra prints and time to spare experimented with adding a cyanotype on top of the the gum print. We also learnt about manipulating the colour range of cyanotypes which is frankly fascinating and I will definitely spend more time on this.
What have I learnt? That tri-colour gum bichromate printing is truly not for the faint hearted. The notes forwarded by Martyn said on the first page: .. do not try this technique if you are tense, or in a bad mood. This undeniably indicates something that informs the nature of this complex printing process. As a technique it involves splitting the colour channels, lining up the negatives, manipulating the paper so that this can happen, being patient and if necessary repeat a step or two and so on. I learnt to respect paper and colours as living material that can change their quality by reacting to their environment. Gum bichromate, invented around 1860, currently involves quite toxic chemicals. As I wanted to work with more environmentally friendly materials this is therefore not for me . However, Martyn Grimmer told us that this is about to change and he will pass on this adjusted technique to others once he has mastered it himself.
Overall, I found this process really an eye opener to what can be done with a photographic image when using an old process. At times, I felt truly humbled coming from the more or less instant image of the digital realm. I know now that the journey will be a longer one and I have just about taken my first baby steps.
This week I have finally got the chemicals for setting up my experiments with cyanotype in my studio. As I don’t have a darkroom anymore this will be partially a nocturnal affair. I also will definitely try to learn more about generating good digital negatives. They are the basis and without them what you can do is limited. All in all good and exciting and further food for reflecting on how to use old printing processes as part of my photographic practice.
At the weekend coming I will explore to other old techniques, one is wet plate collodion and the other is Bromoil. I will write about my experiences with these in my next blog post.
