Anomaly in the darkroom….
Spatial anomaly or just an anomaly that happened in the darkroom while working on creating stars and nebulas. May be a bit too splatty busy.
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, cork and film
Enceladus wannabe…..
Planet Unknown #4, this one came out pretty cool . Reminds me of images of geysers erupting into space on Saturns moon Enceladus
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, steel, glue and film
Onward and outward…..
The discoveries continue with Planet Unknown 3, there is definitely something pleasing about the form and texture with these.
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, cork, steel, glue and film
Planet Unknown…..
So I have been going through many images and finding which ones work better close up as just my creative visualisation of an unknown planet. Here we Planet Unknown #2, I enjoy the simplicity of these and I think that is why they work so well. They aren’t overly cluttered or embellished by trying to create the view of a solar system or spacial event. They are also created with simple materials, well maybe not the light source since it’s a tiny explosion but otherwise just cork, steel, glue and ink.
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, cork, steel, glue and film
Close-up of a “planet”
Planet Unknown #1
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, steel, glue and film
Planets and stars and black holes oh my.
Trying a few things for making close up’s of planets and suns now, lets see how it goes starting with this “unknown system 1” eh?
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, steel, glue and film
Work, the work ….
Now I am working on just “planets” trying to get the tone and texture has proven a bit tricky with how I expose the negative to the plate. When the explosion flashes and exposes the negative the light doesn’t always go in the direction you would like or anticipate. And while it may seem that (or more wishful thinking) a flash of light would have equal exposure across the plate …. It doesn’t. Also other raised bits on the plate block and shift the light, so while I can control where the explosion goes off I can’t control the lights direction or intensity. I am however finding ways to work with the unpredictability of the materials and have had success here and there, which I will be showing over the coming days and weeks.
So what comes after the impact?
Speeding through the void to a distant world with the intent to make an impact.....
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, cork, steel, glue and film
Just doesn’t cut it……
Well they can't all be winners can they? One of my early attempts at creating a "planet" using the Cliche Verre technique. It does have some redeeming factors and does have a planet vibe, but I don't think it quite cuts it for me. What do you think?
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, cork and film
Movement within a still image...
I find it interesting with allot of these that the focus moves in and out at various points. I know why it does it, but just enjoy the movement it creates in a camera-less created still image.
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, steel, glue and film
Just another brick in the…. project.
Time and space continues ............. would you like to know more?
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink, steel, cork, glue and film
You were always on my mind….
I have created a lot of similar images to this one. Trying new ideas and techniques to get as much subtle detail within the "planet" circle. But still every time I look at any one of them my brain goes "Thats no moon ........ thats a space station!"
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, steel, glue, ink, and film
Key image for “Time and Space” project
Enter the destructive beat of a pulsar….
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, alcohol, ink and film
Staring through the void….
As if looking through a spyglass into the void and discovering a distant world.
Definitely has a late 1920’s Fritz Lang film vibe.
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, steel, alcohol, ink and film
Inner light….
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, cork, alcohol and ink and film
The fragile world …..
This is why we can't have nice things, state of the world ......
Cliche Verre Print - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, cork, alcohol and ink and film
The Broken……
The dark side of a broken moon…….
Cliche Verre - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, cork, alcohol, steel and ink
Let the good times roll
Now, some new images get things swinging again especially when things have started to get a bit slow, repetitive or just plain boring. Starting to try and create planets was a challenge but had an exciting discovery. I managed to get the actual planet form and texture I was trying for which trust me was far more difficult than it sounds. Especially since for these I started using micro explosions again to expose the film under the plate. Which even when using a controlled point of “detonation” was still far from reliable as to what level/field of exposure you would achieve.
Only down side is I am not convinced with the edges around the “planet” yet. In one sense it is almost like you are looking through a lens and in another I am back to my “shit it looks like a petri dish again”. I think I will stick with the looking through a lens thought though, it suites the concept and visual idea, and I really love all the textures and depth in these Images.
Who is eclipsing who?
This one has allot of shifting perspective to me, is it coming from the right or the left? Should it be flipped so it is going up or down? Or is it maybe moving away or towards us?
Cliche Verre - 4x5” negative exposed to a plate consisting of ink, carbon, alcohol, cork and film
Unknown Planetoid
Unknown Planetoid - Cliche Verre - 4x5" negative exposed via fire (micro explosions) to a plate consisting of Carbon, cork, alcohol, steel and ink
What was also unknown to me until recently was that when you viewed images on my site here you couldn’t enlarge them, which rly blows if you are on your mobile, so I have now fixed that! Just click and boom you can actually see the detail I am always going on about