41 GLOVES AND A MITTEN

Forty two tintype images: photographic emulsion on aluminum, 11 x 14 inches.

Statement

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Artist Statement: 41 Gloves and a Mitten

PREPARING TO PHOTOGRAPH A GLOVE

“This then: to photograph a rock, have it look like a rock, but be more than a rock.”

The concept for this project was realized more than fifteen years ago, the only question was: what format to use? Gelatin silver, medium format negatives, measuring 2 ¼ x 2 ¼ inches were too small and required too great an enlargement. It wasn’t until I began photographing the gloves and making 8x10 inch contact prints from the negatives did I feel I was getting close. The silver prints were acceptable, but lacked a certain edge.

By this time I had acquired an 11x14 inch wet plate camera and a suitable lens for the project. After my first test plate I knew the Glove Series had to be made using the collodion process for two reasons. One, the image size of 11x14 inches satisfied my vision for the project. Two, the fact that each tintype (I use pre-blackened aluminum) is a one of a kind image. I liked the fact that these gloves, each one originally mass-produced, now held its own unique personality.

Photographing found objects in an environment that isolates the uniqueness of each subject has always interested me, 41 Gloves and a Mitten continues this conceit. Lost, discarded, left to the elements and time, I am asking the viewer to reexamine what these gloves look like when rescued from the sides of highways, alleys, or city sidewalks. In a very real sense, I consider this portfolio, 41 Gloves and a Mitten, to be a collection of portraits.

How to Photograph a Glove.

This video is about How to Photograph a Glove