Close-up is an exhibition of contemporary contact prints and forms part of Wintec's international arts festival Spark 08. The exhibition runs until 22 August and features the work of artists Laurence Aberhart, Mark Adams, Wayne Barrar, Joyce Campbell, Ben Cauchi (pictured), Darren Glass, Fiona Pardington, Andrew Ross and Haruhiko Sameshima.

Although generally considered an historic technique prominent in the 19th century, many contemporary photographers are using qualities of the contact print as an important part of their practice. Close-up is an exhibition of contemporary contact prints and forms part of Wintec's international arts festival Spark 08. The exhibition runs until 22 August and features the work of artists Laurence Aberhart, Mark Adams, Wayne Barrar, Joyce Campbell, Ben Cauchi (pictured), Darren Glass, Fiona Pardington, Andrew Ross and Haruhiko Sameshima.

Although generally considered an historic technique prominent in the 19th century, many contemporary photographers are using qualities of the contact print as an important part of their practice.In comparison to the more common process of enlargement, contact prints are made by placing the printing paper directly in contact with the negative. The result is an impressively sharp image, but it is only the same size as the negative so unwieldy cameras that can take a large negative are required.

Until photography found its way into mainstream gallery practice, books were its principal medium, so vintage works up to the 1960s were often the size of book plates. After that, photographs have become larger and increasingly cinematic as they began to address the real space of the gallery. So, as scale has increasingly became an issue in contemporary photography, contact prints have to some extent fallen out of favor.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a catalogue introduced by Athol McCredie, curator of photography at the Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa. Ramp Gallery, is located at the Wintec School of Media Arts, Collingwood Street, Hamilton. Ramp is open 12 - 4 pm Monday to Friday

Also at Spark 08 is the author and photographer responsible for Mau Moko: The World of Maori Tattoo, recent winners of the 'Lifestyle and Contemporary Culture' category at the Montana Book Awards. Publisher Ngahuia Te Awekotuku and renowned photographer Becky Nunes join a world-class line-up at the festival's 10th anniversary event, and will discuss their latest research project, "Ta Moko: Culture, Body Modification and the Psychology of Identity' .

Spark begins on Monday 4th August and runs through to Friday 8th August 2008.

Image: Ben Cauchi [b 1974]

High fidelity - it's about keeping the finished product as clean, crisp, pure and true to the original source material as possible. If the end is to be true to the beginning then the contact print is the way to go. Since these prints were made I have moved away from the old standards of photography - film, paper and prints - in favour of an older model, the ambrotype and the tintype, direct positive plates where the beginning is the end.

From: Building The Empire suite

07/08/08