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Untitled (Tip)

Photograph
1999 (made)
Artist/Maker

Breuer has experimented with photograms, pinhole imagery and, more recently, chromogenic and gelatin silver papers before and after development. In some work, he combines more conventional printing techniques with physical intervention, for example by making a contact print of a polaroid which has been shot with a rifle, or by abrading a photogram. Breuer exposes the paper to varying degrees of light, which results in differing shades of grey or black, before stripping down the individual layers of emulsion with elements such as fire or sandpaper. The resulting images emphasise Breuer’s subversion of concepts that are inherent to conventional interpretations of photography, such as the photograph as a document or purveyor of truth. They also clearly convey his preoccupations with the sublime and with creating works that are intrinsically material and are made up of marks on a photographic surface that is usually pristine. In consultation with the artist, a selection of works to consider for acquisition has been made that represents the full spectrum of his materials and techniques.

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read Cameraless photography Cameraless techniques have been exploited and reinterpreted by successive generations of image makers and continue to be used by contemporary artists today. While related to the conventional practices of photography, cameraless images offer an alternative, experimental, radical and often r...

Object details

Category
Object type
TitleUntitled (Tip) (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Cameraless photograph made by burning gelatin silver paper. Unique object
Brief description
Photograph by Marco Breuer, 'Untitled (Tip)', 1999, gelatin silver paper, burned
Physical description
Abstract photograph featuring a composition of reds, oranges and browns
Dimensions
  • Width: 340mm
  • Height: 420mm
Styles
Marks and inscriptions
Signed, titled and dated on verso in pencil
Gallery label
Cameraless Photography

Marco Breuer (b.1966)
Untitled (Tip)
1999
Gelatin silver paper, burned
25 x 19.5 cm
Purchased with the support of the V&A Photographs Acquisition Group
Museum no. E.742-2017

Breuer coaxes a range of colours and textures from his photographic paper by augmenting traditional methods of exposure, developing and printing with folding, scratching, burning, piercing, abrading and other interventions. The surfaces bear the marks of touch, demonstrating the same fragility and variety as a living organism. Most traditional photographs record a single instant. By contrast, Breuer’s accumulate scars over time.
Photography Centre, 2018-20:

Marco Breuer (born 1966)
Pan (C-424), 2004; Approx (C-939), 2009; Untitled (C-1656), 2014

Breuer coaxes a range of colours and textures from photographic paper by augmenting the traditional methods of exposure – developing and printing with interventions such as folding, scratching, burning, piercing and abrading. Most traditional photographs record a single instant, but Breuer’s accumulate scars over time.

Chromogenic, scratched, folded, burned, scraped and abraded
Museum nos. E.739 to 743-2017
Cameraless Photography

Marco Breuer (b.1966)
Pan (C-424)
2004
60 x 50 cm
Purchased with the support of the V&A Photographs Acquisition Group
Museum no. E.739-2017

Breuer coaxes a range of colours and textures from his photographic paper by augmenting traditional methods of exposure, developing and printing with folding, scratching, burning, piercing, abrading and other interventions. The surfaces bear the marks of touch, demonstrating the same fragility and variety as a living organism. Most traditional photographs record a single instant. By contrast, Breuer’s accumulate scars over time.
Credit line
Purchase funded by the Photographs Acquisition Group
Summary
Breuer has experimented with photograms, pinhole imagery and, more recently, chromogenic and gelatin silver papers before and after development. In some work, he combines more conventional printing techniques with physical intervention, for example by making a contact print of a polaroid which has been shot with a rifle, or by abrading a photogram. Breuer exposes the paper to varying degrees of light, which results in differing shades of grey or black, before stripping down the individual layers of emulsion with elements such as fire or sandpaper. The resulting images emphasise Breuer’s subversion of concepts that are inherent to conventional interpretations of photography, such as the photograph as a document or purveyor of truth. They also clearly convey his preoccupations with the sublime and with creating works that are intrinsically material and are made up of marks on a photographic surface that is usually pristine. In consultation with the artist, a selection of works to consider for acquisition has been made that represents the full spectrum of his materials and techniques.
Collection
Accession number
E.742-2017

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Record createdNovember 22, 2017
Record URL
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