Consisting of twenty images printed in photogravure and with letterpress printed title page, artist statement, colophon and image index, DARK MATTER is a conceptual investigation of the visual phenomenon of shadows inside the CDMS II lab and in the forest around the site. Since scientists don’t know what it is exactly, or if it even exists, these photographs imagine what this mysterious substance might look like if it were visible.
Read more about the project and the edition, and view all images here.
In addition to the portfolio, individual images are available as hand-printed platinum-palladium prints. Email me for more details.
Since 2011 I’ve been working on DARK MATTER, a series of images photographed in and around the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search II Lab (CDMS II) in northern Minnesota, where scientists are searching for evidence of dark matter. This body of work formed the core of my book that was produced last year during my MCBA/Jerome Foundation fellowship.
This summer I’ve been given special access to the CDMS II lab, where I’ll continue to work on the series and expand my conceptual investigations into the nature of dark matter.
To help fund this next stage of the project, I’m offering a small edition, both in number and size, of hand pulled photogravures of one image from the series, Dark Matter XI.
Title: Dark Matter XI. Date Printed: 2012. Medium: Hand pulled polymer photogravure. Dimensions: 5″ x 5″ image on 8″ x 10″ Hahnemühle paper. Edition: 15 plus 2 APs. Signed: Signed on front. Stamped, signed, numbered and dated on reverse. Price: $150 (plus sales tax for MN residents). Shipping: $6 US / $20 worldwide.
A selection of images from this series are also available for purchase as a boxed portfolio, made in conjunction with the Jerome Foundation/Minnesota Center for Book Arts mentorship program. You can read more about the project here.
It’s been an interesting year; one without too much travel, but lots of fun.
MCBA The big thing throughout 2011 has been my MCBA/Jerome Foundation mentorship. It’s been a really satisfying opportunity and the experience of working with the other five recipients, everyone at MCBA and our three generous mentors is one I’ll treasure.
A year ago I knew nothing about letterpress printing on the Vandercook, lead typesetting, silkscreen printing, case making, multi-signature sewing, book binding, pressure printing and many other techniques. Today, I’d like to think I know a little more.
It wasn’t necessarily an easy project and I didn’t see anything of the spring, summer and autumn because I was busy working at printing the images, laying out and printing the text pages and making the case, but that’s the kind of environment I love to be in. The results of my labour can be found here on my website.
SANTA FE
A short break came in July, when I got to make an unexpected trip to Santa Fe and the Land of Many Uses for the opening of Cy DeCosse’s show at Verve Gallery.
GREECE
After the MCBA opening in early November, I flew to Greece with Beth to assist her with the images for her McKnight Fellowship. We did a lot of walking and a four day road trip; Athens – Corinth – Nafplion – Patras – Delphi – Athens. I even managed to drive through the morning and evening rush hour traffic in central Athens, eventually parking the rental car in the tiny parking space outside our hotel like a true Athenian. Read into that what you will…
I realised I had to be one of the few Britons who had never been to Greece before, but I absolutely fell in love with the people, the landscape, the food and the temperament of the country. The trip also gave me the opportunity to catch up with my old friend and photographer Martin, someone I hadn’t see in sixteen years but who I’d spent many, many days and even more evenings with in the 1980s and 1990s. Back then I was printing in London and Martin was one of those photographers who had started as a client but quickly became a close friend. We only got to see him again briefly as he was passing through Athens on his way back to the UK, but it was as if we’d only seen each other the day before. I guess wine has that effect.
Beth using her iPad as an 8″ x 10″ point-and-shoot.
As I write this it’s 7pm CST, so I guess that’s about it for 2011. Here’s wishing for a wonderful 2012.
Thanks to all who came out for the opening of the MCBA/Jerome show this past Friday – it was fun and we had a great turnout. For those who couldn’t make it, the show’s up until January 24th 2012.
In the next few days I hope to find time to copy all twenty of the photogravures and put them up on the website. I had hoped to have done this sooner, but it’s been a little chaotic recently.
