Katie Hoyle Light Factory Response Page 1 of 5 Light Factory Response The Light Factory was a very small

but interesting art gallery. It included five artists that in some way all showed the element of alternative processes. The Light Factory was opened in 1972. One aspect I found interesting about the Light Factory was not only did they display artwork; they also had an education department. The education department teaches art and film and tries their best to reach out to the community, especially children. The Light Factory tries to have around six exhibitions a year. The layout was very nice and the small size of the gallery surprised me, but made me feel more relaxed and not so overwhelmed. They lighting was set up to perfectly display every artists unique work. Not only did each artist display a specific type of alternative process; they had information beside each picture to explain what they were trying to show. The lighting allowed the important and more interesting qualities of the artists pieces to pop out. I also enjoyed the time line they had showing when the types of alternative processes were actually created. Encaustic which is used by Leah MacDonald was created first in the 1840s. Next came ambrotype in 1851 which was used by Brie Castell. Joni Sternbach used tintype which came about in 1857. Photogravure used by Fritz Liedtke and Platinum Print were both created in 1873. Palladium was created in 1916, and the Platinum Palladium Print was put together in the 1970s, which was used by Raymond Grubb. All of the art was included under the specific artists name, which was convenient so that you did not get their pieces mixed up. Most of the displays of art also were from the same series the artist had created. The colors throughout the gallery set the mood to display the pieces to the audience. The artists included in this exhibit were photographers that looked back at processes used in the nineteenth and twentieth century, or also a process called alternative processes. Alternative processes deal with printing a photograph in a way that is not seen as the traditional or normal way. Using the alternative process allows the photographer to go beyond just digital.

Katie Hoyle Light Factory Response Page 2 of 5 The first artist was Joni Sternbach who used tintype, which was very inexpensive to do. People that used tintype normally had a portable darkroom with them so that they could print right after they took the photograph. Tintype involves using a piece of iron that takes a negative image and immediately turns it positive. Her series was called Surfland, because she had photographs that displayed surfers. She chose to use surfers because while trying to take photos they kept getting in her way so she decided they would become her work of art. Raymond Grubb was the next artist and he used platinum palladium print. Using platinum and palladium print allowed him to create a unique image that was very stable and would not fade as easily. Since he chose to use this type of process he was able to benefit from the affect the photograph got from the platinum and the palladium. Leah Macdonald decided to use wax infused gelatin sheets or a process called encaustic to give her photographs special and interesting qualities. After the photograph was taken it was sent through this process where it became coated with wax. This process allows color to be added where it needs to be. She never had to add anything. Fritz Liedtke used the process of photogauvre which can be described as a photo mechanical process. Photogauvre was very interesting, because the black color used in the process was very deep causing its range of colors to be very amazing. Also, once something was etched on the plate it stayed leaving the picture at the very best quality. Brie Castell was the last artist who used ambrotype, focusing on the wet plate collodion process. This process was done by using a wet piece of glass that could not dry before the piece of art was done or it would not turn out right. The affect she chose to use allowed the image to look like it was 3-D and you were kind of able to look through it.

Katie Hoyle Light Factory Response Page 3 of 5 In the gallery, the pictures were grouped together by the artists. They were not spread out through the entire gallery, they were kept all together. I liked being able to see a lot of different pictures from the artists, because each one was different in some way. Also, the framing of the pictures made them flow better in sequence. My two favorite artists were Leah MacDonald and Fritz Liedtke, so I chose a picture from each of their series. Twins by Leah MacDonald was a very interesting picture. I chose her piece because I liked the way the wax infused gelatin and encaustic process was actually used. This process involves using hot wax and colors, and then the art can be created before the wax becomes cool. Encaustics allow the colors to naturally form where they want around the picture and colors are fused together. Three aesthetic qualities that stuck out to me the most were the lighting, the colors, and the placement and angle of the twin girls. The lighting worked well for the picture, because it allowed the encaustic process to be seen the best. The type of lighting they set up allowed the random bits of color to be seen. A type of shadow was created around the girls which allowed their bodies to be captured wonderfully. Next, the colors stood out. The way the color forms is what attracted me the most, because the colors did not flow through the entire picture, they were just in certain areas. There were many different hues of colors , like black and white, yellow, pink and even some blue. The placements of the colors were different throughout the picture and different on each girl. I liked the way the twins were placed and the angle the picture was taken at. You were able to see the front of one of them and the back of the other to see what they both looked like since they were twins. This picture discusses a universal theme of how twins are always seen as one, and people always expect them to do the same thing. Twins are put under the stereotype of how they are supposed to like the same thing, want to do the same job and pretty much want to do everything similar. Also, people think that twins are going to say the same thing and feel the same way about people. The world needs

Katie Hoyle Light Factory Response Page 4 of 5 to stop treating twins as one person and treat them as two different people. Each person has their own opinions and way they want to run their life, and they should be given this opportunity. The artist is trying to point out to our society and culture that no one is similar and that we are all equal and should be treated that way. My roommate has a twin that I have met and spent time with before. People always try to put in your head that twins are the same so you should expect them to act the same. The first time I met her, I expected that to be true, since it is what I have heard my entire life. Meeting her I was able to see that she and my roommate were in no way similar and they should be treated as different people. My roommate and her twin are also not identical and do not enjoy the same type of things. My roommate is more laid back and casual, while her sister is more girly and into fashion. It was interesting to think of them when looking at this picture and see how I need to treat them both differently. My next favorite artist was Frietz Liedtke and his piece April. This piece was created using the alternative process called photogravure. Photogravure is a very photo mechanical type process. Normally a copper plate is used that is light sensitive and is exposed to a positive light and then the artist is able to etch their work of art on it. Lighting, the color, and the placement of the girls hands on her face really struck my eyes as the best aesthetic qualities of the picture. The lighting exquisitely exemplified the colors and tones the artist had put in the picture. The lighting was not too heavy to take away from the photograph; it was just the right amount. The next aspect was the colors included in the picture. Using this type of process allows the colors to be very dark creating a very nice range of tones. The colors in this picture are what made the picture stand out to me the most. The placement of her hands onto her face made me feel her distress and I felt bad for her. You would have never known that she was going through something if her hands were not placed on her face like that.

Katie Hoyle Light Factory Response Page 5 of 5 People can go through life under the radar and you never know that they are going through something. People are able to hide their feelings of whether they are hurt or not. I would have never felt sad for this girl if her hands were placed in a different way. In our culture now, people nonchalantly go through life treating people however they want without thinking about what they might be going through. I believe the artist was trying to portray to people that if people do not come out and look or act like they are sad or something is wrong we will never realize it. There is a universal theme especially in our society now that everyone is given an image or amount of worth and that stays with them forever. Everyone has hard times but they still deserve the chance of showing what good they could do. When looking at this picture and connecting it to my life I see how I need to change. I also need to help others change for the better. I along, with other people, am quick to judge people without giving them a chance. Also, someone I cross paths with could be going through something very difficult, and the way I choose to treat them could make it worse. I need to be more fair and less judgmental, so that I do not make someone else feel worse than they already do. Although Fritz Liedtke and Leah MacDonald were my favorite artists, I also enjoyed the other pieces as well. I became more interested in looking at different types of alternative processes, because their artistic aspects were so interesting. I also enjoyed being able to walk around the gallery with the head artistic guy that put the exhibit together, because we were able to learn a lot more than what was in the pamphlet. It also enabled me to ask more questions to learn more about the pieces of art.