Since the onset of this year, my journey with the Pictorial Whispers project has been both profound and introspective, marked by the creation of numerous handmade negatives and platinum-toned Kallitype contact prints.
In this article, I will unfold the valuable lessons gleaned from this deeply personal endeavor and discuss the pivotal decisions that have shaped the artistic and emotional contours of the series.
I should note that all of my tools, methods, and workflows are driven by the work’s narrative. You can read about this on the main project page. This will help the rest of this article make more sense to you if you do that first.
The Pictorial Whispers project is born from a profound personal tragedy—the loss of my daughter, an event I wish had never occurred. Her absence is a constant presence, a shadow accompanying me each day. This project has become my pathway through the darkness, a means to navigate and articulate the complex terrain of grief and the ensuing tumultuous emotions.
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Pictorial Whispers – More Than Art
Each handmade print in the Pictorial Whispers series is a captured echo of love and sorrow, where trees stand as poignant testaments to the memory of my beloved daughter, affectionately known as Peanut.
Through the ethereal embrace of Pictorialism, these stoic beings are transformed into guardians of her legacy, their roots entwined with the depths of my emotions.
This work transcends the realm of visual art; it is a sacred process, a conduit through which I navigate the labyrinth of heartache.
Embracing the 1850s negative process of collodion glass plates, with its inherent imperfections and richness, I have found a profound connection to Abby. The physicality of this medium, with its labor-intensive demands and unique aesthetic, mirrors the intricate complexities of my emotional state.
The complex and constantly evolving chemistry process and the handmade aspect of the workflow all contribute to a deeply personal and expressive narrative. Each image I compose is a stanza of an ongoing dialogue with absence and memory, where the chemical nature of the collodion process adds an almost otherworldly character to the images, blurring the lines between sharp reality and the soft edges of remembrance.
In my handmade photographs, trees are more than mere subjects; they are characters imbued with human emotions, standing as silent witnesses to the internal storm of my grief. They echo my solitude, resonate with my sadness, and yet stand resilient, a reflection of the strength I muster each day.
The dance of light and shadow amidst these arboreal forms is akin to my brushstrokes on this canvas of loss. This interplay becomes my visual language, a means to articulate the indescribable path of mourning and eventual healing. In creating my handmade wet plate collodion negatives and platinum-toned Kallitype contact prints, I find a semblance of peace, a fleeting respite from the relentless grip of emotional pain.
My artistic quest with Pictorial Whispers is to forge an enduring, mystical, and deeply personal collection. In this pursuit, I maintain a profound spiritual bond with Abby, channeling the flux of my emotions—grief, gratitude, and love—into the stillness of the natural world.
Each handmade print is a physical manifestation of my experiences, a testament to the enduring impact of Abby’s presence in my life. Through this process, I hope to offer a visual homage to her memory, crafting expressive artwork that are as singular and special as the moments we shared. Abby’s spirit, her joy, and the name Peanut are forever intertwined with the essence of the trees that I photograph. They are my silent and steadfast companions on a path through the unknown terrain of heartache and recovery.
I am thankful that I have a creative outlet to try and work through my feelings and emotions.
LESSONS LEARNED
Lesson # 1 – The Healing Power of Artistic Expression: My work demonstrates how the process of creating art can serve as a therapeutic outlet for processing deep emotional pain and loss. Through the meticulous and physically demanding process of collodion glass plate photography, I have found a way to navigate and articulate my grief. This lesson underscores the potential of artistic creation to not only memorialize lost loved ones but also to provide a path toward emotional healing and personal solace.
Lesson # 2 – The Intimacy of Handmade Art: The decision to use a labor-intensive, historical photography process emphasizes the personal touch and the unique impact of handmade art. Each print in my series is not just a visual representation but a crafted object that embodies my personal struggle and connection with my beloved daughter. This approach highlights the value of traditional craftsmanship in a digital age, showing that the physical act of creating can imbue artwork with a deeper level of emotional and narrative complexity.
Lesson # 3 – Nature as a Conduit for Human Emotion: By using trees as the central motif in this series, I explore how the natural world can reflect and express human emotions. The trees in my handmade photographs are not merely subjects but are characters that embody resilience, sorrow, and memory. This lesson speaks to the power of symbolism and metaphor in art, allowing for a rich, layered expression of feelings that are often difficult to articulate through words alone.
TECHNICAL DECISIONS
The technical decisions I share below result from investing time over this last year in doing the work.
Decision # 1 – The Creative Pillars that I put into place have really helped me remain focused on the things that matter most to me.
Decision # 2—Developing a clear narrative and a well-crafted artist statement for the Pictorial Whispers project has been instrumental in guiding my creative process. These tools have not only helped me delve deeper into the work’s emotional layers but also maintained a focused approach throughout my journey.
Decision # 3 – I learned that I am not in a hurry. I have explored making collodion dry plate negatives, calotype paper negatives, and wet collodion negatives over the last year. I realized early on that my platinum-toned Kallitype prints were a strong match for my project narrative, but I wasn’t convinced about my negative workflow. I’ve learned that my final decision could have never been made based on thoughts or intellect. I needed to explore all of these options and make prints. By doing the work over the last year, the experience has provided me with clarity. I am now committed to the collodion dry plate negative workflow to make my platinum-toned Kallitype contact prints.
Decision # 4 – I have tried a variety of formats for this project, including 5×7, whole plate, 8×10, 8×20, and 16×20. I needed that experience to determine which format best aligned with the narrative. I have settled on whole plate collodion dry plate negatives contact printed on 8×10 Arches Platine 310 paper.
Decision # 5: I own many vintage large and ultra-large format lenses, so I explored a wide variety of lenses for this project. Besides the obvious issues like focal length and maximum aperture, I needed to make a lot of different prints using different lenses to select the optical signature that best aligned with my project narrative. I have decided to go with my Hermagis Eidoscope lenses. I have a 275 mm F4.5 and 375mm F4.5 lenses.
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Tim Layton Fine Art 