Acclaimed British photographer, Paul Hill, has produced a limited edition set of platinum-palladium prints with the help of Alan Duncan, Ben Dolman, Professor Paul Kelly and Emeritus Professor Terence Kavanagh from Loughborough research group the Studio of Light, based in the School of Design and Creative Arts.
The Studio of Light is a research funded project which has been exploring how to make platinum and palladium photographic prints using traditional, scientific, and digital technologies. The prints are unique in tonal values and archival properties, making them highly desirable and collectable. They have produced a set of portfolios whilst looking at the commercial possibilities and reaching out to various photographers, including Paul Hill. He said: "I was so excited to get this invitation to participate in Loughborough's venture into platinum printing.
"Their reputation as photographic innovators is well known, so I knew I was in safe hands. This was particularly important as there is only one negative existing of probably my best-known image – Man Against Snow – made in 1974. When they told me that the prints would last for at least 1,000 years it was an easy decision. To think that if a photograph was made by this process at the time of the Norman Conquest and it would still be OK today is phenomenal."
Image: Paul Hill, Man in Snow, 1974
The process has taken over 18-months. The platinum-palladium has been united with contemporary image-making and offers a fresh interpretation of a selection of the original 35mm negatives from Hill’s renowned series Prenotations (1974-1978). The result is Prenotations Remastered, an exhibition of ten platinum-palladium prints at Argentea Gallery, Birmingham.
Alan and Ben from Studio of Light said: “This has been a wonderful opportunity for us to work with such an outstanding and distinguished photographer. It has allowed us to showcase what we can offer to photographers, galleries and, in particular, museums in the production and archiving of exacting photographic artwork.”
The exhibition is taking place from 17 September-29 October 2021. More details are available on the Argentea Gallery website.