Chemigram + Photogram 20/12/56 ‘La Révolution hongroise’
Photograph
1956 (made)
1956 (made)
| Artist/Maker |
Pierre Cordier, born in Brussels, invented the chemigram in 1956 and has pioneered its artistic development ever since. Working like a painter, Cordier replaces the canvas with photographic paper. Changes in shape and pattern are created both deliberately and randomly by introducing scratched marks, varnish, wax, oil, glue, syrup, egg and other materials. Physical reactions of these layers, often made after repeatedly dipping the paper in developer and fixer, are registered on the photosensitive emulsion. The chemigram is a camera-less technique, but it is not a photograph nor a photogram since it does not rely solely on light to produce the image. Nor can it be described as a print, since negatives or printing plates are not involved and the result is unique. In Cordier’s work, the process itself becomes the artwork.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Chemigram + Photogram 20/12/56 ‘La Révolution hongroise’ (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Chemigram |
| Brief description | Chemigram by Pierre Cordier, 'Chemigram + Photogram 20/12/56 ‘La Révolution hongroise’' 1956 |
| Physical description | Shapes and patterns of a light brown colour, framed in grey against a black background. In the top section of the picture two almost human like figures emerge from the mass of shapes. Three crosses can be seen distinctly behind them, with fainter crosses in other areas of the picture. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Purchase funded by the Photographs Acquisition Group |
| Summary | Pierre Cordier, born in Brussels, invented the chemigram in 1956 and has pioneered its artistic development ever since. Working like a painter, Cordier replaces the canvas with photographic paper. Changes in shape and pattern are created both deliberately and randomly by introducing scratched marks, varnish, wax, oil, glue, syrup, egg and other materials. Physical reactions of these layers, often made after repeatedly dipping the paper in developer and fixer, are registered on the photosensitive emulsion. The chemigram is a camera-less technique, but it is not a photograph nor a photogram since it does not rely solely on light to produce the image. Nor can it be described as a print, since negatives or printing plates are not involved and the result is unique. In Cordier’s work, the process itself becomes the artwork. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.328-2018 |
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| Record created | June 6, 2018 |
| Record URL |
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