Cyanotype artisan emulsion workshop

On June 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., the Crater-Lab collective in residence will give a Cyanotype artisan emulsion workshop.

In filmmaking, all processes are controlled by the filmmakers except for composition and film development, thus disabling the possibility of experimenting with the aesthetic qualities of the analog format. With the resurgence of the uses of analog formats, coupled with a progressive reduction of industrial emulsion options to less than filmmakers, many stakeholders have put efforts to reclaim the handmade emulsions or forgotten processes, typical of the origins of photography.

The techniques of handmade development allow the exploration of the response of light and its (d)effects at the moment of the “filmic alchemy”, thus strengthening the intimate relationship between the filmmaker and the film. In the case of the workshop, the participant will start from scratch, being in contact with the preparation of the support itself. The cyanotype is also a very particular technique, since it does not require any chemical to trigger the reaction. The emulsion is developed with the use of water.

The workshop proposes the realization of a collective film made from the manufacture of handmade emulsion, its preparation on different supports, its exhibition from the flat print technique and different development processes.

There will be a brief theoretical introduction on the origins of the technique and some examples, as well as a practical and technical explanation. Throughout the morning, the chemicals will be prepared for each support: paper, fabric and transparent film. The paper and fabric exposures will also be made. In the afternoon, the pieces will be prepared for flat print, the celluloid exposures will be made and they will be developed and dried to prepare the final projection of the workshop.

PROGRAM

1- Introduction to cyanotype
History of emulsion and its techniques
Necessary materials and chemicals
Varieties of support: paper, canvas, 16 and 35 mm celluloid.
The preparation of chemicals for the different supports
The processes of emulsion: preparation of the support, exposure and development

2- Exposure in cyanotype
Preparation of the support for the flat print technique
Exposure and development on paper, canvas and 16 and 35 mm celluloid.

3- Developing. Basic processes
Normal and forced development
Tinting and effects

4- Editing
Viewing
Moviola editing
Final Screening

At the end of the workshop, participants will be given an HD screen print of the resulting film, as well as a basic bibliography and links of interest. Participants will also take with them the results of their work on paper or canvas.

Remarks
The workshop will provide all the necessary materials and devices for filmmaking, developing, editing and projection. After the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to use the laboratory for a day to practice and develop their own films.

It is recommended to bring materials, we recommend small objects -that fit totally or partially on 16 or 35mm celluloid-, opaque or transparent, as well as plants and dried flowers and also color or black and white negatives of any format. Photographic prints on transparency are also of interest. Crater-Lab will provide materials to work with anyway.

Practical information
Day: June 12
Time: from 10 am to 2 pm and from 4 to 7 pm
Place: Hangar
Places: 15 pax
Language: Spanish
Registration: info@crater-lab.org
Price: 50 €.

Requirements to participate: Aimed at artists, filmmakers, students and anyone interested in the creation of moving images, filmic materiality and artisanal processes of film creation and experimentation.

Workshop given by Yago Alcover // Crater-Lab