Kent Johnson Photography | Prints and Exhibitions
My history of printing goes back several decades to when I first started making black and white prints in the darkroom, using silver-rich double weight papers.
The best of these were then carefully finished using selenium toner which imparted a warm tone and added to the already good archival properties of the print.
Back then I was a black and white specialist but I also made a number of colour prints using the unique Cibachrome paper. This was a highly saturated 'dye destruction'
positive to positive darkroom process that created very rich, permanent colour prints with a shiny metallic finish. Now discontinued there is nothing quite like it.
Today I print using pigment inks on beautiful 100% cotton rag paper. Delivering rich tones, beautiful colour, saturation and sharp details. This is the same heavy paper used for those other forms of fine art printmaking, etching and lithography, or for drawing on or even painting. I loved these papers and was drawing and etching on them way back when I was still printing in the darkroom.
Prints are objects, they don't disappear when the power goes out. Though thin, they have weight and texture and are objects that can bring beauty and joy into your life. Small prints have intimacy, larger prints can be contemplated from a distance. When exhibiting I like to give my pictures space – but at home these days, I'm more in tune with the Salon idea of old, hang 'em high, low, and have them everywhere. I have small pictures too, dotted around on tables and sideboards. Its not a cacophony, they are quite friends waiting to catch my eye, they are just there, bringing memories, beauty and an invitation to contemplate. I couldn't live without them.
