Mysterious (to me) printing technique

leicaphile · Mar 14, 2008

:confused: last week, I was reading a magazine on (art) black and white photography at a Borders[UK] store, which had a portfolio of a lady photographer. She uses some special technique to print some beautiful art photos.

Now, I can't remember the name of the magazine, or more importantly, the name of the technique, which starts with "M" (morgance /moragace?? ... or something like that). Apparently, this technique was invented, or she learnt it, in France.

It's some kind of lifting and re-layering of silver [or may be something else] from the papers with (high) silver content. Can anyone kindly help me to figure out the name of the technique? And if you know a bit more about it, then please enlighten me.

clogz · Mar 14, 2008

Is this what you mean: http://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/Mordancage/mordancage.html

leicaphile · Mar 14, 2008

Bingo!!! that's it. superb.

now, i need the name of the magazine. is it "black and white photography" ?
Someone please help - it's chewing my brain.

Monophoto · Mar 14, 2008

It's B+W - published in the US. And the photographer was Elizabeth Opalenik.

If you are interested, there is a guy who offers summer mordancage workshops at his home in Maine.

leicaphile · Mar 14, 2008

Yep! I think that's the mag and the artist. Great. Thanks a lot.

ilya1963 · Mar 14, 2008

"If you are interested, there is a guy who offers summer mordancage workshops at his home in Maine"

Who is that Louie?

ILYA

ann · Mar 14, 2008

It is Jonathan Bailey up in Maine

Ian Grant · Mar 14, 2008

The etch bleach technique is remarkably simple and very easy to master, back in the 60's or early 70's Ilford published a small leaflet on the process, the formula is much the same as on Unblinkingeye.

Essentially used with a resin coated paper and a high contrast (lith) negative the relief image formed could be dyed any colour you wanted with a white background. Careful application of the dye meant quite complex multi-colour graphics could be produced, we used this process commercially in the late 70's and early 80's, mainly to make internal signs and display graphics.

Around the same time I also used the process for some personal work, re-developing the etch-bleach images, the prints were interesting and quite different, the process is also quite controllable but the secret is in producing a positive/negative with a contrast that will be effective with the technique. That might mean using a film mask alongside a continuous tone negative or positive.

Ian

roy · Mar 14, 2008

Monophoto said:
It's B+W - published in the US.

And the photographer was Elizabeth Opalenik.

Click to expand...

If you are interested, there is a guy who offers summer mordancage workshops at his home in Maine.

Her website is worth a visit as she has some nice hand painted work.

Mysterious (to me) printing technique

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency