This workshop will introduce participants to the fundamentals of mordançage on black and white prints. Mordançage is an obscure darkroom technique developed in the 1970’s by French photographer Jean-Pierre Sudre, which evolved from the 19th century process of bleach-etching. After producing silver gelatin prints in the darkroom, we will learn how to add veils and textures to each print with mordançage chemistry. We will discuss best printing practices, chemistry components, the steps of bleaching and redeveloping, and emulsion manipulation techniques. Participants will have time to explore the nuances of this haunting process and will leave the workshop with 1-5 fully-realized mordançage prints.
Requirements
- Basic darkroom printing experience required.
- Please bring thin negatives in any format that will produce large shadow areas on the final print. Digital negatives can also be used. Photograms can be made as an alternative.
- Please bring fibre-based paper or purchase from Gallery 44.
- Please bring a KN95 or respirator mask to protect from chemistry vapours.
Ella Morton (she/her) is a Canadian visual artist and filmmaker living in Tkarón:to/ Toronto. Her expedition-based practice has brought her to residencies and projects across Canada, Scandinavia, Latin America, Greenland and Antarctica. She uses experimental analogue processes to capture the sublime and fragile qualities of remote landscapes.
She has exhibited her work internationally, including shows at Lonsdale Gallery (Toronto), Foley Gallery (New York), Contemporary Calgary (Calgary), Galérie AVE (Montréal), 516 Arts (Albuquerque, NM), the Center for Fine Art Photography (Fort Collins, CO), Photographic Center Northwest (Seattle) and Hanstholm Art Space (Denmark). Her work has been featured in a variety of publications including the NPR Picture Show, Analog Forever Magazine, Lenscratch, Lomography, PhotoEd Magazine and the British Journal of Photography. Ella has received grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the National Film Board of Canada and LIFT. She is a sessional photography instructor at York University.
