NEWS AND LINKS
Exhibitions and Events:
A description of Sarachek's work with Chemigrams and an image were recently published in Robert Hirsch's Third Edition of "Photographic Possibilities - The Expressive Use of Equipment, Ideas, Materials, and Processes," Elsevier - Focal Press, 2009. Pierre Cordier's work (see below) is also included in this edition, the first one to include a description of the Chemigram process.
Norman was a guest speaker at the recent National Symposium, "Twenty-First Century Photography," in New York City. Sponsored by Group f295 of Pittsburgh, PA the symposium took place in Manhattan. A standing room crowd heard six speakers discuss new and unusual techniques in photography. Using a PowerPont presentation Sarachek showed step-by-step photographs of his process, his use of resist, and the way inspirations effect his art. His use of the chemigram technique to express the quiet depth of Asian ink painting, and the influence of contemporary art like Brice Marden's stick drawings and Richard Serra's monoprints were shown in sequence with Sarachek's interpretations using his chemigram technique.
A major exhibition of Norman's unique cameraless chemigrams, "Marks on Silver," tok place at the Martin Gallery, Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA, June 1 - August 4, 2007. The exhibition included 32 images created over the past five years. A 16 page monograph was published in conjunction with this exhibition, including many of the images shown, and an essay and interview by Alexis L. Boylan, Assistant Professor of Art History at the University of Tennessee. For copies of this monograph please contact the artist. They are available for a modest postage and handling fee of $10.
Norman's chemigrams were shown in the exhibition, "Deep Process" at the Open Lens Gallery of the Gershman Y, 401 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA in February, 2007.
They were allso on exhibition at eDavid Gallery, 535 Main Street, Bethlehem, May 18 - June 23, 2007,
A solo exhibition took place in late spring of 2008 at Connexions Gallery in Easton, PA.
Inspirations:
As my work with chemigrams went beyond simply applying chemicals to the photographic paper, and evolved into being able to make marks on the paper that tell a story, I began to get more and more inspiration from painters and print makers. The abstract expressionists particularly resonated, as did oriental ink painting and calligraphy.
I spend much time with books in these areas. When I find a work I particularly relate to, I study it to see what makes it special for me, and, in turn, what does that element of the work mean for the direction I am going in my own mark making. Is there an essence to abstract that could be part of my art-making vocabulary? Of course, finding the books means spending many pleasant, dusty, hours browsing used bookstores for treasures.
“Chinese Brushwork in Calligraphy and Painting,” by Kwo Da-Wei (Dover Publications, 1981) unfolds for the reader the use of line and especially of space in the development of Chinese calligraphy and ink painting. It includes exquisite examples of each.
“Ink Painting” by Takaaki Matsushita, number 7 in the “Arts in Japan Series” (John Weatherhill, Inc., 1974) has examples of ink painting from the 12th to the 15th Centuries that presage the most modern of abstract painting in their gestural abstraction and sometimes minimalist approach to composition.
Another wonderful book of Japanese calligraphy and ink painting is “Song of the Brush: Japanese Paintings from the Sanso Collection” edited by Joseph Rosenfield (Seattle Art Museum, 1979). One comes away from this volume having seen a few perfect strokes of the ink pen produce work that does sing to the eyes.
Of Western artists, Brice Marden has incorporated calligraphic marks in some of his wonderful gestural ink pieces (“Brice Marden Drawings: The Whitney Museum of American Art Collection,” The Whitney Museum of American Art, 1998). His “Epitaph Paintings” (“Brice Marden Chinese Work,” Matthew Marks Gallery, 1997) began by his placing large scale calligraphic elements from Chinese epitaph stones on the canvas. Working from these borrowed elements on the canvas, he created entirely new works of art. Derived from the stones he studied in China, this work bridges ancient calligraphy and modern abstract expressionism in a very interesting way, thus providing food for thought for my own mark making.
Richard Serra’s strong prints (“Richard Serra Prints: Catalogue Raisonne,” Richard Serra and Richter Verlag Dusseldorf, 1999) reversed the usual composition of black marks placed on a white background. His massive black shapes with edges of white give a dark, moody quality to this work. I have begun to explore this avenue with a series of four chemigrams, “After R/S.”
The works of Jackson Pollock always bring me back to the power that emanates from the fusion of chance and control in art making. Using the control associated with previsualization along with the chance involved with gesture in creating a paint drip, a brush stroke, or a chemigram energizes and strengthens the work.
Links:
“The PhotoReview” is a guide to New York City and Mid-Atlantic photography edited by Stephen Perloff. Stephen, besides publishing listings of exhibitions, of exhibition opportunities, and erudite articles on photography, is a facilitator of communication and camaraderie among photographers and gallery owners (www.photoreview.org).
Pierre Cordier, Belgian professor of photography, first described the chemigram process and named it in 1956. He recently published a beautiful volume of his work, "The Chemigram," Editions Racine (www.racine.be). Professor Cordier's website is www.chemigram.com .
Douglas Collins teaches and lives in Manhattan and works with many experimental techniques including chemigrams and light drawing. His experimentation is wide ranging and leads to some beautiful images. (www.douglascoliinspictures.com)
Tom Persinger runs an organization dedicated to increasing communication among practitioners of unusual photgraphic processes. The group, f295 is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA and presents symposia there as well as in New York City. The website should be visited by anyone working in alternative camera or alternative process photography (www.f295.org).