Frieze Photoshop process

Thinking back on the photo transfer process for 2011 The Frieze Project, I was very fortunate to have someone on my team who was more knowledgeable than I about Photoshop. The Photoshop process was complex and required the steady hand and responsive mind of Sonja Lashua, a photographer in New York.

I found most of my imagery online and decided to use low-resolution files in order to achieve an historical haziness. I would let Sonja know what I was trying to achieve visually, typically a strong contrast and one or two highlights. My great concern was that the image transfer well using solvent to release it and then an etching press or hand to transfer it.

Sonja and I communicated throughout the project only through email and google docs. There was a trial and error period to figure how best to achieve the goal. Sonja was a willing partner in the process, trying various techniques to deliver what I'd described. Her 6th sense combined with her expertise helped me to realize my vision.

How difficult it is to describe what was in my mind when I wasn't sure of the steps. Art is about NOT verbalizing, rather about making. Undertaking such a grand project was so much more than the sum of its parts. It was like managing a small army and myriad logistics. I'm satisfied with our accomplishment and the lessons learned. It's the process.