We are well into week two of the Covid19 Lockdown. We were sent home from work on Tuesday 17th, on the Friday I called to my studio in Manchester to pick up a few bits and pieces, as I turned the corner to the Mill I saw a number of Fire Engines in action. Not a good sight at any time. Turns out the dance school on the ground floor was ablaze due to a wiring fault. An hour or so later we were let into the building to collect a few items. Luckily, the fire hadn’t spread to any other units and later that day “Lockdown” came into force so to speak in the UK in its very limited confusing style, so a good job I went when I did. It is at times like this I wish my studio was at home. We have discussed it in the past, the money I spend on rent could be put to a larger mortgage on somewhere with some land and outbuildings.
Anyway, here we are, working from home. I’m concentrating on Photogrammetry and Multispectral Imagery workflows through the week for work, but for my own sanity, and for Stephs, I had found a load of Drypoint and Linocut printing materials. I also brought home from the studio a load of old b&w photographic paper. Thanks to my good friend Moo Pa (Andy), he had started a Facebook group – Gallery 19 Lockdown Art for friends to share artworks whilst in these difficult times, it was here that I was introduced to Lumen printing. I hadn’t really paid any attention to this process in the past. A relatively straight forward photogram process where b&w paper is exposed to light, no developing just a weak fixer if you choose. You should see some of the amazing work being produced with further chemical and digital processing.
Here are my first attempts… Ilford and Kodak RC papers. 15 minute exposures. Scanned and Levels dragged in in PS.
The third one I inverted and cut out from the background in PS. Has an almost Xray look to it. I can see this process becoming quite addictive in its unknown qualities.
Thankfully, there have been a number of online videos, workshops and courses made available on all manner of subjects during our period of isolation. So there will be plenty to do for the first few weeks…… Good luck everyone, stay well and stay safe.
Tony