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	ALTERNATIVE WOMEN includes selected works from artists Tracy Mortimer, Helena Taelor and Elizabeth McCaig Opening 2pm, Sunday 13th February 2011 Exhibition dates: 13th February - 1st May 2011
	Alternative photographic processes are regaining world wide popularity, older techniques such as pinhole cameras, toy cameras and the use of old lenses for large format photography are being taken up by the contemporary photographer. At Mountford Gallery we intend to exhibit work using these processes over the next decade. The Artists exhibiting in Alternative Women each use different printing processes which use chemicals other than silver to form the final print. The non-silver based processes exhibited range from Tracy Mortimer's platinum-palladium prints - where the image is formed of these precious metals to Elizabeth McCaig's cyanotypes giving a rich Prussian blue image and Helena Taelor's toned silver gelatine Lith and colour “C type” prints. These printing processes are hands-on leading to a more personal and uniquely collectable object, a quality quite different to modern machine made photographic prints. The editions are limited by the time taken to produce the images balanced by the artist's need to produce new work. There is no option in these labour intensive processes to order a digital printer to make dozens of identical prints. The prints exhibited here take great time, care and patience to produce. Cyanotype is based on the Hershel's 1842 blueprint process in which the image on the print is composed of Prussian blue pigment generated within the paper. This process can be also used on cloth and other supports. “There are so many variables in this process that no two images are ever the same. First, the hand brushed strokes are different for very piece, the time of day and strength of the UV light can vary and if the sun goes behind a cloud the contrast of the image will be reduced. I have chosen to experiment with a range of textured cotton papers and natural fibre fabrics to compliment the hand-made process”. Elizabeth McCaig, 2010 Platinum-Palladium prints are also printed on rag paper and in this process the image is made of real precious metallic platinum, palladium or a mixture of both precious metals. The image colour is basically black, but varies according to the size of the particles of the metal in the paper. Platinum printing dates from research by Hershel and Hunt in 1832. Lith printing is an uncomplicated but different Black and White printing process, using standard black and white or colour negatives, a suitable black and white photographic paper and Lith developer, from which the process gets its name. It involves heavily overexposing a suitable black and white paper, generally by two or three stops, then only partially developing the image in a highly diluted Lith developer. For further information about each artist click on the below links. Elizabeth McCaig Tracey Mortimer (www.foco.com.au) Helena Taelor