light factory response portfolio

8/13/2019 Light Factory Response Portfolio

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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 displ ay 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.


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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.


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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


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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 pieceApril. 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.


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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.

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