- Christopher Anderson
- Grapes, 2004
- Platinum
- 36 x 28 cm
- US$800
Beautiful photograph, contact printed from the in-camera negative on handmade Japanese paper, with artist studio stamp and signature.. This work is unique.
Anderson: "The still life image was made with a 4 x 5 camera in my studio using an artificial light source. It is a good example of my signature style, sculpting light and shadow to create the illusion of three dimensions on a flat plane. "
The Platinum Process:
“The platinum print has an indescribable charm, suggesting atmosphere, though the negative printed on another medium may be entirely devoid of this valuable pictorial quality… it is the Prince of photographic printing processes “
-Alfred Stieglitz
The platinum/palladium print is the result of an alternative photographic process that has been in existence since 1873. It is the preferred photographic medium of discerning fine art collectors. Platinum prints are known for the subtlety of their tonal gradations, particularly in the middle values. Good platinum prints have an integrity and unity difficult if not impossible to achieve in conventional silver prints - the tones 'hang together' and the print is a beautiful object in a way that silver gelatin - the normal black and white print - seldom attains.
The making of a platinum print is an expensive and labor intensive craft. Fine art paper is hand coated by the artist with actual Platinum and/or Palladium solutions, which cost over $600 per ounce. Hand coating allows the chemistry to permeate the paper and create an image that is actually impregnated in the paper, rather than on the surface as with common silver-based prints. These noble metals are also completely inert. Thus they form an image that will last as long as the paper, which should be hundreds of years if kept properly. The negative is contact printed on the paper by exposing it to ultraviolet light for an extended period, which requires a negative of the same size as the final print. The end result is a beautiful print with delicate tonal scales, subtlety, and distinction that must be seen to be believed. Online reproductions can not do the medium justice."
Contact printed image on a 9"x6" piece, matted to 11"x14".
- Collections: Platinum Prints