SILVER TRACING: A Trevor Foon Photography exhibition

09 November to 19 December 2021

Multi Award Winning Photographer and Artist Trevor Foon presents his latest exhibition at ArtSpace Gallery, Wonthaggi.

Magical Images of Pure Silver

See Trevor Foon’s amazing and intriguing demonstration of creating images of pure silver on a sheet of glass.

Dating back to 1840s this was the new technology creating treasured portraits. Known as the wet plate collodion technique and created only with the care and craft of a skilled technician, Trevor demonstrates this fascinating process which still invokes awe today.

As part of Trevor Foon’s Silver Tracing exhibition, this demonstration will be held at ArtSpace gallery on Saturday 27 November 1-3pm.

Tracing silver from photography to jewelry.

From the conception of photography silver has been an integral part of the process. Silver Nitrate is a chemical that makes film sensitive to light. So until the era of digital cameras, photography could not function without it.

But beyond the creation of an image, the silver was removed in the developing process and contained in the process effluents. Once recovered from the waste, the silver could be returned to its metallic state once again. And with the need for silver nitrate to prepare hand-made sensitizing solutions, Trevor found a way to create this from the silver in hand.

A gem in the mix. When Trevor’s parents retired from their photography business, they took up a hobby in gemstone fossicking, which quickly escalated to lapidary and stone faceting. With many gorgeous gemstones accumulating they needed a way to give them a purpose. A short course in silver work opened up a new hobby of silversmithing and stone setting.

It soon became apparent that the recovered silver from our photo lab might have a new purpose. Trevor and his father, Morris soon made a workflow to turn the recovered fine silver into sterling silver for this reason.

A selection of beach and coast inspired silver jewellery pieces.

Along with a collection of photography work digital images, wet plate collodion tintypes, stereo photography, cyanotype & Vandyke brown historic processes. Most are framed but some are 3 dimensional presentations.

The collection of images are a range of retrospective work, eclectic subject matter, and recent studies made on our local coastline with a spotlight on the health of our beaches.