Julia Hall McCune

Clarence H. White experimented with an array of artistic media that blurred the lines between photography, drawing, and printmaking. Here are two examples of that experimentation: a platinum print on the left and a photogravure on the right. White was likely drawn to both processes for their broad tonal range and interaction of image and paper. To create platinum prints, a light-sensitive liquid emulsion is applied to and absorbed by the paper. The image forms within the paper’s fibers, resulting in a matte appearance. Because photogravures are printed like an etching, the image is formed with ink impressed onto the paper’s surface.