Love Letters To The Printers
Drypoint Intaglio Print on 300gsm Hahnemühle Paper, each 56 x 78 cm, Unique (2023)
‘Love Letters To The Printers’ are Intaglio drypoint prints created from archival photographs, which had marks drawn on the surface of them by darkroom printers. These marks reveal an untold history about the photographs. Each mark represents certain depths and layers that are accentuated through the printing process. They are the ‘behind the scenes’ of how an image is made in the darkroom. They become the evidence of the printer’s hand, how they have affected the final image and the work that was done in the darkroom.
The marks were traced over, etched into a plate and printed, leaving the photograph behind. These pieces are an attestation of all of the labour that goes into a single photograph. They carry a sense of history and craftsmanship - highlighted by making the marks the sole visual aspect of the work.
Exploring the relationship between photography and printing, ‘Love Letters to the Printers’ highlights the inherent bias and subjectivity involved in the photographic process, by uncovering how darkroom printers play a crucial role in the shaping of the final image.