The Dark Arts [Eastside Silver Prints]
Making Images, Not Taking Them
Words Jessi Devenyns | Photos Baptiste Despois & Jessi Devenyns
There is poetry to the simplicity of black and white photography. But capturing life in this manner is more than just a monochrome snapshot. It requires experimentation and a willingness to create an image of the world that, much like life, is formed by the detailed shades of gray that layer in depth and meaning.
Anthony Maddaloni, owner of Eastside Silver Prints, a community darkroom, has dedicated himself to teaching others how to immortalize the beauty hidden in the nuances of ordinary life.
“This is a darkroom for people who are curious and want to have fun,” he says. “I want to have fun. I want to entertain people. I want people to have a healthy outlet.” Access to this creative outlet often begins with individual darkroom lessons to build students into autonomous members with the necessary skills to create. Anthony stresses that because it takes years to perfect the art of developing and printing, he is always available to troubleshoot – even after the initial introductory courses are complete.
Darkroom photography is as much of a science as it is an art. Thanks to the influence of light, time, and a little bit of chemistry, what is seen in the world is not what appears in an image. And the skill of making, rather than simply taking a photo, is the art at the heart of photography.
The one-room studio encourages close collaboration between members who are given access to an array of development materials as well as multiple enlargers for printing the hand-developed images. It is not uncommon to see experienced fine artists, amateur doctors, full-fledged printmakers, and even rookie movie stars drift into the studio looking for inspiration or to borrow a few film reels. What they all have in common though is an eagerness to create.
The desire to express their interpretation of the world is what often leads students to Eastside Silver Prints. “It’s one of these things where you can know nothing about science and still be pretty good at it,” Anthony explains. “In the beginning, it’s about as scientific as baking brownies from a box. You do this at this temperature, you pour this in here, you mix this, you put it into an “oven,” and then you get images.
Those images can then be preserved through printing. The ability to print can be especially powerful for people who have inherited old family negatives and want to bring those memories to life.
Whether darkroom members are interested in preserving the past or are looking to the future by pushing the boundaries of processing and printing, Eastside Silver Prints is a space where chemicals, ideas, and community are mixed together to develop a new way of seeing the world.
Learn something new
Anthony offers private lessons, darkroom bootcamps, photo critique classes, and guided photo walks.
Using methods whose technical terminology will sound familiar to anyone who has used digital editing software, students learn how to render a negative into a print that is physically developed, washed, dried, and preserved.
Contact:
5305 Bolm Rd., Studio 11.1
eastsidesilverprints.com
anthony@eastsidesilverprints.com
