Alternative Photographic International Symposium

A few weekends ago I went to the Alternative Photographic International Symposium (or APIS), a series of lectures and print showings centered around alternative photographic processes, hosted by Bostick and Sullivan. There were some fantastic highlights for me.

Kayla Kopke, a recent graduate from College for Creative Studies showed prints from her thesis. The images represent a person with a certain color. The prints are platinum on top of inkjet, which create some fantastic results.

James Hajicek & Carol Panaro-Smith  are a collaborative couple in Arizona who recently started the Art Intersection gallery and education space.

Their personal work consists of large photograms of plants. I found the work that they showed at APIS inspiring and beautiful. I was also encouraged by their ability to collaborate so successfully and for so many years.

France Scully Osterman gave a talk on collodion and her own work. She teaches workshops with her husband. Her personal work that she showed was incredible. Waxed salt prints from collodion negatives of her friends sleeping.

There was also a print trade, where I put in a cyanotype

(like the one on the right, but more straightforward print-wise)

and got a 2-color gum bichromate image of a tree from George Omorean I believe. Image of that soon.

There were many more wonderful artists and presenters, too. This is just scratching the surface on the bounty of information and art that was around.

I believe that APIS is every 2 years, so if you are interested, look out in 2013.