In 2010, I was awarded a commission from Chrysalis Arts as part of their Celebrating Place project. This has led me to begin on a new body of work based on the forests of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, producing a series of carbon transfer photographs using 8 x 10 inch sheet film with my Deardorff field camera.
A carbon print has an archival stability equal to no other photographic printing process simply because the image is made from carbon pigment suspended in gelatin. Carbon is one of the most stable elements which is why a well made carbon print will last as long as the paper it is supported on without fading. Also the tonal quality and depth of detail of a well made carbon print is stunning.
Why Carbon Print?
One could argue that permanence is the main attraction. One could also argue that a carbon print is simply a beautiful object. Carbon prints display a depth and luminosity that reflect a contrast curve like no other process. The ultimate appeal for me however, is the fact that they are handmade objects. One does not simply push a button to make one . Each Carbon print is created using a refined skill. When an artist creates or produces a piece of work then I feel that part of the artist creative energy somehow manifests itself within the artwork. This is why Carbon prints are special and it should be understood that not only is it very difficult to make a perfect Carbon print, but it is impossible to repeat a matching print from the same negative due to the many variables involved in the manufacturing process.
