Photophore Process

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Jul 7, 2010

I found below art piece at a art dealer website. Its about reproductions of art nouveau pieces. It was writing that it is photophore process.
Can you describe me this process ? Any user ?

Thank you ,

Mustafa Umut Sarac

Istanbul

AgX · Jul 8, 2010

From what I see I would guess (photograpically?) engraved metal filled with enamel.

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Jul 8, 2010

Thank you AgX. I might think this. Do the name come from phosphore? How such a bright color being made Isnt it so lovely ? Enamel process is very fast and relatively requires small furnace and couple of minutes.
But if it is phosphore based , how to prevent from fire ? I need more information , who is the expert on these matters ? I think I will write to Louvre and British Museum and report here.

AgX · Jul 8, 2010

It has nothing to do with phosphor. If my understanding of old Greek is correct it means "carried by light". So, it could be any photographic process...

But now it's time for those members with longer beards to join the discussion.

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Jul 8, 2010

Thank you again. I asked to British Museum and as usual as answer will be illuminated in my mailbox in two days.

Marco B · Jul 8, 2010

Mustafa Umut Sarac said:
I found below art piece at a art dealer website. Its about reproductions of art nouveau pieces. It was writing that it is photophore process.
Can you describe me this process ? Any user ?

Mustafa,

Don't get overexcited, it seems "Photophore" is just the French word for "tealight", the candle light you use to keep your pot of tea warm...:

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Fits the bill of your small glass cup...

Marco

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Jul 8, 2010

Marco ,

I saw similar french sites. But photophore is about light emitting biology of deep sea creatures and it fits also to these fluorescent colors. Above subject page was saying its a process and done in owen not oven.
Does this clue support you ? What is owen ?
Museum answer will be very exciting , I really do not have any idea.
Umut

holmburgers · Jul 8, 2010

Yes, Marco is unfortunately correct....

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Bummer

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Jul 8, 2010

Thank you holmburgers and Marco. May be it is off topic but I have no place to ask. Tealight , photophore colorful art is so exciting for me. Are they enamelling products as AgX said ?
I think www.wetcanvas.com is the best place to continue. I will report everything I learned to create these art pieces. I really fall in love with them. Art Nouveau and Art Deco are excellent , at Cuba , there are many buildings from these eras and you can research via internet , there are giant friezes at the walls , and charming.

AgX · Jul 8, 2010

Well, you found that Klimt tealight!

But I must admit I never thought that Mustafa's mysterious object was a glass jar.

Marco B · Jul 8, 2010

Mustafa Umut Sarac said:
Thank you holmburgers and Marco. May be it is off topic but I have no place to ask. Tealight , photophore colorful art is so exciting for me. Are they enamelling products as AgX said ?

To be honest, Mustafa, I think the example you are showing us here is just made using some common (offset) printing process applied to glass. Just like how they print the beer logo on a beer glass.

But you are right that WetCanvas is a good resource for all kinds of questions regarding these kind of things.

You may find this document an interesting read as well:

PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE 19th CENTURY:
A Process Identification Guide
William E. Leyshon

And if all this art stuff interests you, I can also recommend Ray Smith's "New Artists Handbook". I doesn't give all details, but tons of info on different artistic techniques. One of the most comprehensive overviews I have seen.

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Jul 8, 2010

Marco ,

I think you would be right.

Silk printing process is used at printing on curved surfaces and silk printing inks are the strongest againts the time. But I think offset or silk ink is not washable with caustic detergents.

I think secret word is glaze. There are lots of glaze catalogs at internet and they heat the coating in 375 degrees for 35 minutes in preheated kilns and they stick like a metal.

But ,it is difficult to print lots of colors with different glazes for a 40 dollar vase.

I think there might be a 4 color glaze process or a glaze decal printing , removing from the base and covering the part with the glaze decal process is needed for fast cheap production.

I think this is off topic but We are artists and beauty interests us. So I will continue to write

phaedrus · Jul 8, 2010

Process questions aside, am I the only one who thinks this "art object' is the equivalent of a picture of Elvis on blue velvet?

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Jul 8, 2010

Process is important not the picture copyiny on glass. The colors are awesome. I looked to many Klimt , Mucha gift sites and there is a high technology than it seems. Ceramic , glass , metal. How did they mass produced these colors is the problem. Printing elvis is one problem , printing a gold color on big ceramic piece with many other special colors and sell for 40 dollars is a other.

Photophore Process

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