Photography provides an important component to the gallery's collection of contemporary art. Mark Brautigam highlights the unconventional side of Wisconsin in his large format, color photographs. The true beauty of otherwise overlooked settings communicate naturally in the work of Brautigam and Olson. Wisconsin duo, J. Shimon and J. Lindemann utilize a blend of antiquated and modern photographic processes. Janica Yoder's gorgeous color prints of female torsos and natural elements provide an interesting juxtaposition to Tom Uttech's black and white photographs of the North Woods.
Ilfochrome or Cibachrome
Ilfochrome (formerly Cibachrome before bought by the Ilford company) is a direct process for printing from
transparencies. This is a silver dye and bleach process and it forms an image by selectively bleaching dyes
already existing within the paper. It produces bright, punchy prints with generally good display properties.
Inkjet or Giclee
Giclee printing is a relatively new printing process, which in the last few years has become highly regarded by
many of the world's most important fine artist, collectors, galleries and museums. This printing technique
combines new digital technologies with traditional print making techniques which provides the artist with many
creative possibilities that were never before available.
InkJet prints are made by spraying very fine droplets of water-based ink onto a variety of paper surfaces.
The first high quality inkjet prints available were from 'Iris' printers, and high quality prints are normally made
on 100% cotton papers. Prints made on these printers are sometimes designated Iris Giclee. There are a
number of new ink sets and papers which promise greater lifetimes than the standard materials.
Medium or Large Format
The bread and butter tool of the professional photographer that takes a 5x4 inch negative or larger. Medium
format is used to refer to cameras which normally work with roll film. Some medium format cameras have
interchangeable backs and can take high resolution digital backs. Medium formats are useful where the quality
from 35mm is not sufficient for the purpose and large format is either too expensive or too slow in use.
Silver Gelatin Print
This is a black and white photograph printed on paper coated with an emulsion consisting of gelatin and silver
salts which provide the light sensitive materials necessary to produce the image. Different silver salts can
produce different tones in a print and can be applied to two different mediums: fiber-based paper or resin
coated (RC) paper.
Platinum and Palladium Prints
This contact printing process is vastly more archival and displays rich tones and delicate ranges of grays that
are unobtainable in silver prints. As no gelatin emulsion is used, the final print has a matte surface with a deposit
of platinum and/or palladium absorbed slightly into the paper support. This process is enjoying a revival today,
with a number of contemporary photographers coating their paper supports with specially prepared platinum
and/or palladium emulsions.
Wet Plate Collodion Prints
This photographic process was invented in 1851 by Fredrick Scott Archer and became the dominant process of the nineteenth century. The process requires the photographer to coat the supporting material, sensitize, expose, develop, and fix the plate all while it is still wet. Depending on the weather and climate in which the photographer is working, drying times range from five minutes to fifteen. The short drying time makes it imperative that the processing be done on location.
William Nichols
