Snapshot of Stuart Clook’s Art Residency

Over recent weeks, Stuart Clook, our talented resident artist, has been in the Photosynthesis studio experimenting with a type of photography and printmaking that sounds impossible: making colour images using black and white film. These trichrome photographs are built up using exposures made with black and white film taken using red, green and blue filters over the lens. Stuart then uses these negatives in his darkroom to create the cyan, magenta and yellow contributions to the final print. Each step requires precision with little room for error, making it more challenging for Stuart, who has mostly worked in black and white printmaking. 

Trichrome prints in Stuart’s darkroom during the magenta development step 

Stuart has pushed himself further out of his comfort zone by shooting a huge variety of subjects: buildings, people, and still life. He usually works in nature, with majestic mountains and towering trees, not in a studio with sitters.  With the complexity of his processes and subjects, he has faced many obstacles and learned many lessons, but he says that this leaves space for serendipity in his work that can often make it special. 

Not everything is new to him, however, as he’s still using a traditional style large format film camera and capturing images of plants. Instead of shooting flora in their natural environment, Stuart has brought flowers from his garden into the studio.

Layered registration of the black and white digital negatives for the trichrome print of flowers from Stuart’s garden.

During the In-Studio days, everyone has been invited to take part in Stuart’s process. Photosynthesis volunteers were amongst the models - myself included. Our skill at being mannequins were tested as even the slightest movement can change the focus and create variation between the three colour exposures. We had fun in the studio, trying different movements and colour combinations. I’m usually behind the camera, so it was interesting to experience photography from a model's perspective and see how a different photographer works. Stuart has a deep knowledge of film and the historical techniques he uses, things I know very little about, so I enjoyed learning about a different style of photography yet seeing the same enthusiasm for creating that I have.

Since this project is a large undertaking for Stuart, he has been experimenting with Trichrome photography and colour carbon printing since November 2023 to build up his knowledge and experience for his Residency. On Fridays, he is in the studio, but on other days he is out in the natural world experimenting with different exposure techniques and subjects. I saw a preview of one of these pieces which will be displayed in his exhibition at the end of May to early June at Art Hole, and it is beautiful. A dark mossy beech forest has been turned into a candy floss/cherry blossom wonderland. 

Black and white printmaking using the silver gelatin process during a workshop

In my last post, I shared how Stuart’s main goal and passion is to share these alternative and historical techniques with more people to raise awareness and appreciation of these forms of photography and printmaking. His hope has come to life through the workshops he’s been hosting in his darkroom. The workshop sessions saw 18 people have a hands-on go at developing black-and-white film or silver gelatin printmaking. 

Over a cup of coffee, Stuart told me how much he has gotten out of this residency. It’s giving him the focus he needs to meet the deadlines and space to experiment with a new style and process. Stuart is currently editing some of the photos and using the carbon print process for the prints he will display during the exhibition “Plural Realities: Pigments of Perception”. There will be something for everyone, with prints ranging from landscapes, to portraits, to still life. Come along on the 28th to see it for yourself and hear more about it from Stuart at the opening reception.

Plural Realities: Pigments of Perception | ArtHole 

11am to 4pm every day, 27th May - 2nd June   

Opening and Artist Talk - May 28th, 5:30-7:30pm