Palladium toned alt prints and wheat starch glue?

[MurrayM]

Hi there,

I'm making Palladium toned ferric-silver prints (Argyrotypes...somewhat related to VanDyke Brown prints) on 21gsm handmade Japanese Gampi and want to mount them to a carrier sheet of either heavier Kozo or a 100% cotton European paper.

Wheat starch glue seems to be what is normally used for mounting light Gampi to heavier carrier sheets or hanging scrolls, but is it safe with palladium toned alt process prints?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Alan Jan Cherney]

I don't know about argyotypes but I can ask. All I know is that you will be using water-based materials, including water itself, & you will probably or certainly have to spray the prints face down on a formica or glass top table, & have two strengths of wheat starch paste. Look carefully at the *kozo* & you will notice that one size is a tiny bit rougher, more fibre, fuzzy-ier. That is the side of the *kozo* you want to paste with thinner strength, & it must be at least 1" larger all around, & on that perimeter you want to brush on thicker paste. This is how the whole system is stretched when it will dry, & you might want to insert a shiv of cotton paper on one corner so you can get a bone or bamboo folder in there to separate the sandwich of stretched art when the whole shebang is dry. The way we do it with silk is to have a *pounding brush* to encourage the *kozo* to bond with the back surface of the art paper. I am going to be doing some of this with some silk art, soon, so I can send you a more detailed photo & description.

 

[MurrayM]

I don't know about argyotypes but I can ask. All I know is that you will be using water-based materials, including water itself, & you will probably or certainly have to spray the prints face down on a formica or glass top table, & have two strengths of wheat starch paste. Look carefully at the *kozo* & you will notice that one size is a tiny bit rougher, more fibre, fuzzy-ier. That is the side of the *kozo* you want to paste with thinner strength, & it must be at least 1" larger all around, & on that perimeter you want to brush on thicker paste. This is how the whole system is stretched when it will dry, & you might want to insert a shiv of cotton paper on one corner so you can get a bone or bamboo folder in there to separate the sandwich of stretched art when the whole shebang is dry. The way we do it with silk is to have a *pounding brush* to encourage the *kozo* to bond with the back surface of the art paper. I am going to be doing some of this with some silk art, soon, so I can send you a more detailed photo & description.

Thanks a bunch. I've seen videos of the process you're talking about used in mounting Chinese calligraphy and paintings. Nice tip about the small bit of cotton paper in the corner to get started at lifting it off the drying glass/board. Appreciate the help!