Precious Landscapes

Stuart Clook

Studio 541
541 Mt Eden Road, Mt Eden

4 – 20 June 2021

Opening 6pm Friday 4 June

Artist Talk: 5pm Sat 12 June

Part of the Auckland Festival of Photography

An exhibition of handcrafted New Zealand landscape prints in platinum-palladium, carbon, gum-bichromate and cyanotype.

Clook uses these labour and time intensive historical processes for their subtle tonal range and luminosity to make his prints with atmosphere and mystery that will stand the test of time. “I love the mix of science and hands-on crafting a print over several days and sometimes weeks.”

Working with medium and large format film cameras, Clook’s prints are a unique expression of the beauty and the sublime that can be found in the NZ landscape where the viewer can find time for quiet and contemplation in today’s hectic modern world.

The exhibition is being accompanied with platinum printing workshops on the weekends during the exhibition.

An exhibition of handcrafted New Zealand landscape prints in platinum-palladium, carbon, gum bichromate and cyanotype.

My photography and print making are influenced by the late 19thcentury Pictorial and Tonalism movements where I use the photographic printing processes of this time with contemporary materials to make landscape prints in platinum palladium, carbon transfer, cyanotype and gum bichromate. These historical processes renowned for their subtle tonal range, luminosity, and inherent permanence are labour and time-intensive yet rewarding and addictive with endless creative possibilities. This help Stuart use the full photographic syntax to make prints with atmosphere, beauty and mystery in a uniquely personal way that will stand the test of time.

Stuart explores these hands on processes and loves the fact that serendipity is close by and can often play her part in the final outcome making for truly unique handmade photographic prints.

Stuart’s goal is to inspire those who see his work to look more carefully at the world around them and to discover the beauty and sublime in the familiar and lesser known places around us.