Join Jon Goodman as he shares the history and technique of photogravure and the important role it has played in the evolution of fine-art photography. He has applied this beautiful means of printing the photographic image in ink to his Bradford Washburn portfolio, and will be sharing anecdotes and insight into his prints.

Goodman has been practicing photogravure full time since 1976, and has operated his own studio in Florence, Massachusetts, since the mid-eighties. He is devoted to producing editions in photogravure for publishers, artists, photographers, and museums. His work can be found in many public collections including the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Bibliothèque National in Paris.

In the photogravure process, the original negative of an image is etched onto a plate with varying depths according to the tones in the image. Dense ink is applied to the plate and then wiped from the surface, and the plate is placed on an etching press, covered with dampened paper, and passed between the rollers of the press. The image is made of a layer of ink with varying thickness according to the depth and tone of the image — appearing three-dimensional under magnification.

“Photogravure has played an essential role in the origin and evolution of photography. Its history is inextricably intertwined with the earliest discoveries and pursuits of the medium. While initial interest in photogravure was motivated by an effort to solve technical problems, over time photogravure was practiced for its own distinct merits.” (www.photogravure.com)