Since moving studios in January 2021, we have been without a UV light source and unable to make any platinum-palladium prints or polymer photogravure plates. The old lamp was far too large for the new space and so we ordered a new unit. Unfortunately the 6 weeks I was told turned into more than 5 months, although at that time I had enough other things going on with the new darkroom build to keep me occupied, but ultimately I was let down.
Enter Jon Cone and his new LED exposure units. We immediately ordered a 22×30″ model with the fastest 4x speed setup and built-in vacuum frame. A few weeks later it’s now up and running in the darkroom and is a wonderful, truly well made piece of equipment and a pleasure to print with. I’ve already calibrated it for platinum-palladium negatives and printed a small portfolio of prints for a client, so the next step will be calibrating it for the polymer photogravure process.
WORKSHOPS
Now that I have the new UV lamp and vacuum frame installed, and once I finish calibrating everything, I’m considering offering small (1-3 max.) workshops in both platinum-palladium printing and polymer photogravure. The pandemic has naturally curtailed many of the opportunities for people to learn these processes, and I’ve had an inordinate amount of people asking me if I’m offering classes or private tuition. They will likely take the form of one or two day weekend classes in the studio in NE Minneapolis.
Hopefully MCAD will start offering the polymer photogravure class once again and that I’ll be teaching it there too, but meanwhile, if you’re interested in either process, email me and let me know which you’d prefer – keith@keithtaylorphoto.com.
PROJECTS
Nick Cave’s Notebook
Now that I the darkroom is up and running well, I’m back making prints for photographers both locally, nationally and internationally. In need of a new, quality notebook? Nick Cave is and I make those too, as well as boxes and cases.
If you have a project you think I might be able to help with, email me keith@keithtaylorphoto.com or call +1 (612) 701-9671 (voice and text)
In 2011 I was fortunate to have been chosen as one of six Jerome Foundation mentees at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts. For a year we were immersed in the book arts, learning about bindings, case making, letterpress printing, paper making and much more. I came away loving the ability to make cases and books as needed. Then, I was lucky enough to go and study with a friend and mentor, Enrico Giannini in Florence, Italy, a fifth generation bookbinder. In the ten years since, I’ve continued to make books and cases but now’s the time to start offering them on my website.
I’m going to be offering a small line of notebooks, journals and cases. These will all be ready-mades, so no personalisation or customisation will be possible and the sizes are whatever’s available at the time. I’m still going to be making custom, handmade cases (and soon, books) to order, and more information on those can be found here.
There’s already a selection of both notebooks and clamshell cases in the shop and more will be added soon. Papers include Fabriano, Mohawk Superfine, and both ruled and plain options, while the covers include leather, book cloth and Italian hand-marbled paper. All the materials used are of the finest quality and made by me, one at a time, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
More details on all the notebooks and cases can be found on my website here. As always, if you have questions, please feel free to email me!
Here are a few photos of a 150 page book I’ve just finished printing and binding for a friend. It’s 12.5 x 9.0 x 1.5″ in size, consists of nine hand-sewn signatures and is finished in red Italian book cloth with marbled endpapers by my friend Enrico Giannini, a fifth generation Florentine bookbinder. The book layout and design was done in InDesign and the paginated pages printed on Hahnemühle Book and Album paper.
The recently published Black Forest from Candela Books has to be one of my favourite books of last year. Edited by Russell Joslin, the editor and publisher of SHOTS Magazine, it’s a collection of work of over 50 photographers, that includes Roger Ballen, Keith Carter, Louviere+Vanessa and Osama Esid.
I love this book and if you’re in the Twin Cities this Thursday there’s a book launch and signing at Caitlin Karolczak’s studio – #205, Solar Arts Building, 711, 15th Ave NE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55413. If you need any encouragement to brave the cold and get out there, it also happens to be above the Indeed Brewing Company…
Rooted in the concepts of the founding Surrealists, these contemplatively sequenced and darkly atmospheric images become a metaphor for the unconscious and the mysterious corners of the psyche. Suggesting loose, intuitive relationships between the works of contemporary artists, Joslin creates four visual narratives associated in tone, emotion and formal structure, but allows room for his readers and viewers to render for themselves the hidden, connective layers of meaning. Complimenting this arcane collection is the strange and beautiful design of Jeff Louviere.
Photographer Russell Joslin has been the Editor & Publisher of SHOTS Magazine the past 14 years. SHOTS is an independent, reader-supported quarterly journal of fine art photography that reaches an international audience. “Black Forest” demonstrates his distinct editing style, with a special emphasis on sequence and narrative tone.
Thursday January, 8th, 2015. 6pm — 9pm. #205, Solar Arts Building, 711, 15th Ave NE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55413.
That’s my name in Chinese. At least I think it is. I hope it is… Anyway, I’m honoured to have been asked by Christina Anderson to contribute to this new Chinese publication titled HANDCRAFTED: The Art and Practice of the Handmade Print.
Edited by Sam Wang, Sandy King, Christina Z Anderson and Zhong Jianming, the book is published by Zhejiang Photographic Press Ltd.
