Workshop
Phytograms
Organised by The Margate School
Using plant chemistry for photographic image creation.
In this workshop you will learn a technique that uses the internal chemistry of plants for the creation of images on photographic emulsion. You will be introduced to foraging in a safe and kind way, going out into the local environment and collecting your own plant matter. Alongside this you will gain an understanding of sustainable environmental photographic processes and the impact that creative processes have on the environment. This workshop is for adults and is suitable for anyone with previous darkroom or photography experience.
Learn about the role of Phenols in plants and how soaking plants in ascorbic developer activates them. From this you will also learn how to make a contact print on black and white negatives and on photo-sensitive paper.
Outline of the course:
—Collecting plant matter
—Making a simple ascorbic and sodium carbonate developer. Soak plant matter in solution.
—Explain how the chemistry works in activating the Phenolic content in the plant matter.
—Using 35mm black and white negatives and photo-paper creating contact exposures with the saturated plant matter.
—Exposing in the sun for 15 minutes
—Fixing with expired photo fix.
—Drying prints
—Reviewing work/questions
About the Tutor:
Kim Conway is a Margate based artist, working with historic and alternative photography processes and is co-founder and director of The Darkroom Project at Resort Studios where she teaches traditional and experimental analogue photography. Kim’s interest lies in process and in the objectness and materiality of the photograph. Recently, she has been researching and developing more environmentally friendly analogue photography / darkroom practices. Kim has exhibited and run workshops in group shows across the UK , including Leith Arts Festival, The Sidney Cooper Gallery, The Turner Contemporary, The Brewery Tap, The Pie Factory, Resort Studios, P.O.W Festival, Air Gallery Manchester and Offshoot Gallery, London.
- printingtechniques
- photography