Perhaps it’s no longer inconceivable, that in the near future, the only way to photograph with film will be to make it yourself. Speculating that the future of film lies in its distant past, this workshop will explore the history, the techniques, and the resurgence of the still relevant wet-collodion process. Starting in the early 1850’s, the wet-plate process, which preceded modern film manufacturing, was the dominant photographic imaging technology for approximately thirty years. Stephen Berkman will conduct with a hands-on approach, a detailed step-by-step guide to the wet-collodion process. Each student will personally experience the near miraculous process of transforming a clear sheet of glass into a photographic image. In addition to creating images, the workshop will consider contemporary conceptual approaches to using this remarkable and historic process. Working within the realm of both photographic and installation art, Berkman’s output revolves around the use of antiquated photographic and optical processes. Berkman’s photographic and installation works have been exhibited at MoPA, University Art Museum, Long Beach, Stephen Cohen Gallery, USC Fisher Gallery Museum, Alan Klotz Gallery, and Armory Center for the Arts. His wet-collodion photographs have been featured in the books Photography's Antiquarian Avant- Garde: The New Wave in Old Processes, The Journal of Contemporary Photography: Strange Genius and Cold Mountain: The Journey From Book to Film. Other publications include Blind Spot, Art in America, as well as the U.K. magazines Gomma and i-D, Magazine. In addition Berkman was commissioned to create tintypes for the films Cold Mountain, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. Berkman was a guest speaker and re-created the Shroud of Turin for the History Channel special: Unraveling the Shroud. Because of the specialized nature of the equipment involved, the class will be utilizing the instructor’s wet-plate camera and equipment. Materials Fee: $40 for specialized materials (to be paid at workshop orientation) PLEASE NOTE: In addition to the workshop tuition, all participants are required to enroll in a one-unit course at Grossmont College. The course fee is $32 (non-residents should contact Grossmont College directly for additional fee information). The course fee is to be paid at the workshop orientation. |