Alternative Process Workshop in Jalapa, Mexico

From Byron Brauchli, organizer of an international confernce on alternative processes to be held in Jalapa, Mexico in May of this year.

"I understand that there has been much "alternative" dissemination of our upcoming International Alternative Photographic Processes Conference scheduled this coming May in Xalapa, Veracruz, and I am now pleased to announce (at last) the official web page. http://www.EncuentroProcesosAlternativos.com>www.EncuentroProcesosAlternativos.com

The event is of course in Spanish, but there will be many bilingual folks on hand, so please, if you know a bit of Spanish, and feel an inclination to travel South in May, consider us in your plans--it promises to be a culturally rich photo event. If you know of others would might also be interested in this event please pass along the information.

Best regards,

byron"

http://www.byronbrauchli.com>www.byronbrauchli.com

As you can see from the web page, I will be conducting a workshop on carbon printing in Spanish at the event, and also have an exhibition of recent carbon transfer prints.

BTW, If you are interested in attending be aware that Jalapa is a cultural university city far removed from the kind of drug cartel wars seen in other parts of Mexico.

Sandy King

That looks like another great event.

Here is a brief report of the "Encuentro" on alternative printing held in Xalapa, Mexico. I posted the same on APUG and the LF forum but am repeating it here since some may not follow those forums.

I just returned to the US from Mexico after a visit of approximately two weeks in Xalapa, Mexico. The major purpose of my visit was to conduct a three-day workshop on carbon transfer printing as part of an international conference on alternative printing, the “Encuentro internacional de procesos fotogrficos alternativos.” The conference was originally scheduled for May of this year but was delayed due to the swine flu outbreak. I took advantage of my time there to do some personal work in the city of Xalapa and in excursions to nearby sites such as Xico, Coatepec, and Naolingo.

This conference was for its breadth and depth without question the best one I have ever attended on alternative printmaking processes. It included discussions on the importance of alternative printmaking, excellent exhibitions of several processes, including my own carbon transfer work and that of Dick Sullivan, ambrotypes by Lucy and Waldemaro Concha, pt/pd prints by Julio Galindo, and photogravures by Jon Goodman, and three and four day workshops on carbon transfer printing by me, gum bichromate by Arturo Hernndez, Ambrotypes by Lucy and Waldemaro Concha, photogravure by Jon Goodman and digital manipulation by Antonio Turok.

My carbon workshop was four days, including one day of preparation and three days of working with students. I was especially delighted with the mix of younger art students and more mature professionals working from art institutes and photo conservation centers. Working conditions were tight as the 11 participants in the workshop and several observers who were often on hand tested the limits of the working space, but everyone got along well and most of the participants ended up making a few nice carbon prints. We worked with both digital negatives and in-camera negatives, depending on the preference of the participants.

Byron Brauchli, an American who works as in Investigator at the Instituto de Artes Plsticas of the Universidad Veracruzana, was the primary organizer of the “Encuentro” and deserves much commendation for making this event happen. In a conversation I had with Byron after the end of the event he indicated that plans were to make this a bi-annual affair. If that is so I would encourage anyone interested in meeting and working with world class alternative printmakers to put this event on your radar screen.

I was also very pleased with the reaction to my own work and to new contacts. Several people who saw my carbon gtransfer prints at the exhibition in the Holos Galeria described the work as simply stunning, and at least two groups are already working on plans to have me return to Mexico to do carbon workshops in other cities, including Mexico City. Another highlight of the event for me was getting to know Jon Goodman, master photogravure printer (http://jgoodgravure.com/) who as coincidence has it comes to my area of the country frequently because of family ties.

Sandy King

bravo Sandy and thanks for the report. This certainly peaks my interest...