Ian Sanderson, Elsa Poppin, Platinum Palladium Print, 1998

Elsa Poppin - Platinum Palladium print over 24 carat Gold leaf on vellum paper Edition 1 of 8 , plus 2 AP ( Large size, size 2 ) Still life scene of the regulars at a vintage bar called Elsa Poppin in Rennes, Brittany, France Signed + numbered with certificate of authenticity ( signature and title are hidden here on the photos to avoid counterfeiting ) Gold gives this photograph the distinctive feature of changing tone according to the ambient light. Photography created by hand using only precious metals: gold, platinum and palladium, like a precious jewellery. The photograph is bonded to acid free watercolour board to eliminate the fragility of the print if it remains loose. This print is produced using a 19th. century process called Platinum Palladium Printing. It is produced by coating a light sensitive Platinum and Palladium solution on to translucent vellum which is then bonded with gold on the back of the print. A labor intensive and expensive process which results in a beautiful finish and longevity into the hundreds of years. This image was captured on film in 1986. The negative was scanned to create a digital negative specific to this technique. Print created later. Provenance : Ian Sanderson’s Estate Ian Sanderson (born 1951 Scotland, died 2020 Spain) was a Scottish photographer. Ian produced images over a 35 year career. For most he worked as both a Commercial and Fine Art photographer; during his last years concentrated on his personal archive. Ian and his partner have worked for many years with alternative printing techniques, Platinum Palladium, Silver Gelatin, Lith or Gum Bichromate. This culminated in a large retrospective exhibition in Barcelona which was sponsored by the Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation. Platinum Palladium printing is a traditional photographic technique which precedes silver gelatin prints technique. Many photographers have worked with it in the past as Irvin Penn, Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Robert Mapplethorpe, Sebastiao Salgado o Ormond Gigli with its Platinum with gold leaf print 'Girls in the Windows'. For this type of print, the original Platinum Palladium technique is more advanced by adding another precious metal that only a handful of artists in the world have the expertise to practice it today. Ian Sanderson Studio works with silver or gold leafs depending on the desired rendering. These precious metals bring longevity and rarity to the print but also a tonal range and depth unmatched by digital printers which are valued by collectors. Ian Sanderson studio continues to create rare and personalised pieces thanks to the work of Ian's life partner.