150-year old photograhy technique makes a return
For Photo London 2016, the major international photography Fair, the artists Walter and Zoniel have created what they describe as a "giant early 19th Century Polaroid" in Somerset House. Each subject is required to pose for up to 30 seconds without moving, producing an ethereal yet resilient photographic image on a sheet of metal. Entitled 'The Untouched,'  the essence being, according to Walter the images cannot, and need not, be retouched. These massive Tintype images are 7ft by 4ft and require a huge lens which took years to locate. The project is a collaboration between the V&A and Gazelli Art House.



Story highlights Artist duo Walter & Zoniel have created the world's largest Tintype at Photo London 2016 They turned the 'Dead House' space at Somerset House into a huge camera To capture the image the subject must stand under bright lights for up to 30 seconds without moving

CNN —

This week British artist duo Walter & Zoniel made photographic art history at Photo London 2016 by creating the world’s largest Tintype. A life-size portrait of British designer Paul Smith CBE, the piece signifies the launch of The Untouched, a larger series in partnership with the V&A and Gazelli Art House looking at some of Britain’s most loved and revered icons.

Artist duo make photographic art history at Photo London 03:01 - Source: CNN

Renowned for their innovative, process-based approach to age-old photographic techniques, Walter Hugo and Zoniel first came up with the idea in 2010, during a smaller-scale project for Showstudio. The only problem was the lens – they couldn’t find one big enough to accommodate the colossal 7ft by 4ft Tintypes.

It took six years, but they eventually tracked one down in San Francisco, fortuitously, at the same time Photo London commissioned them to make something for the second edition of the fair.

How to make the world’s largest TinType

To create the work Walter & Zoniel turned the “Dead House” space at Somerset House into a huge camera. Running directly under the listed building’s historic courtyard, the cavernous underground area is rumored to contain the gravestones of 17th Century courtiers.

In order to capture the image, each subject is required to stand under a full bank of bright lights for up to 30 seconds without moving. To prepare and calm them for this intense experience, Zoniel (using her background in Buddhism) first talks them though a gentle meditation.

Walter explains the process inside the giant camera. “We take a giant sheet of metal and cover it in substrate. This is then sensitized with silver nitrate in another tank, removed and loaded into a focus frame. The shutters release, the light hits the metal and that creates the chemical reaction that produces a one-off image directly onto the sheet of metal. It is then developed, fixed and left to dry. The piece is ready in twenty minutes, like a giant early 19th Century Polaroid.”

“It’s like a giant early 19th Century Polaroid.” Walter Hugo, artist

The result is an immersive experience for the subject and the artist and a completely unique, instantaneous, resilient photographic image. “Metal doesn’t disintegrate like paper”, says Walter, “as long as they are kept away from water, these works will last for at least 500 years”.

The title of the series The Untouched references the fact that there is no ability or need to retouch or alter the images, as the means of their creation is ethereal. The title is also a nod to the exalted status of the subjects within the eyes of the public.

Celebrity sitters

This is not the first time the art-duo has shot individuals in the public eye. In 2015, for their Alpha-Ation series – “an ode to the modern day relationship with ‘The Portrait’ and our everyday acts of adulation” – Walter and Zoniel shot actors Lindsay Lohan and Emily Watson, photographer Ellen Von Unworth and musician Tinie Tempah, among others.

Anton Corbijn, David Bowie, London,1993, Courtesy Camera Work — Director and co-founder of Photo London Michael Benson chooses ten stand out images from the fair, which highlight key issues and trends in the photography industry.



"The great thing about photographs is they almost need no words. I chose this Anton Corbijn image because I think it's just stunning, and of course it's Bowie. I was very sad, as we all were, to see the death of Bowie earlier this year." Anton Corbijn, David Bowie, London,1993, CAMERA WORK Steve McCurry, Fruit Vendors, Jodhpur, India, 1996, Courtesy Peter Fetterman — "These extraordinary images of India are presented in a beautiful book by the artist in association with Peter Fassman gallery." Steve McCurry / Peter Fetterman Hans Breder, Body Sculpture, 1972, Courtesy Danziger Gallery — "Hans Breder is much better known as a sculptor. These photos have sat around in a studio and the gallery is exposing them for the first time. They've had a very big response to them. I'm fascinated by the sculptural quality and also by the fact that they have laid around for so long without anyone noticing them." Hans Breder / Danziger Gallery Don McCullin, Tormented, Homeless Irishman, Spitalfields, London, 1969, Courtesy Hamilton's Gallery — "Don McCullin will receive our Master of Photography award this year. Last year it was given to Sebastio Salgado, and we're delighted that McCullin has agreed to follow because he's a legendary photographer. This is one of my favorite images of his. There will be a special exhibition of his work at the fair, which is a really unique moment to view his work." Don McCullin / Courtesy Hamilton's Gallery Stephen Gill, Energy Field #189, Courtesy Christophe Guye — "These images are interesting because of this whole question of editioning in photography. He's made them in an edition of one with an artist proof, but also with the color negative contained inside a silicone block. So this energy field is a really interesting play on the whole notion of how photography is made and how it's editioned." Stephen Gill Leyla Cardenas, Extracts of Permutation, Courtesy Galerie Dix9 Helene Lacharmoise — "A young photographer who is looking at the way in which cities decay. I think there's an eerie quality to these architectural canvases. She is a really interesting young woman working with found architectural objects, which I find fascinating." Leyla Cardenas Wolfgang Tillmas, EU Campaign, tillmans.co.uk — "This is completely different. How much more contemporary can you get than to make a series of works based on the posters that he's made for the anti Brexit campaign? We've installed these as a 9 meter wide, 3 meter high piece, and we're extremely happy to be able to give Wolfgang the platform to make a political point that basically everybody should get involved and vote in the referendum." Wolfgang Tillmans Unknown artist, London Monument to the Great Fire, 1840s, Courtesy Bernard Quaritch Ltd — "The image from Quaritch is fascinating. There are a number of artists in this year's fair who have taken London as their theme; a number of galleries who I wouldn't say have concentrated entirely on London, but have made a great play about London. This image by an anonymous photographer, which dates back to almost 1840 -- so very early in the life of photography -- is a stunningly beautiful portrait of Trafalgar Square. It's also beautifully presented." Bernard Quaritch Ltd Tod Papageorge, Studio 54, 1978 - 1980, courtesy Galerie Thomas Zander, Cologne — "The Todd Pappageorge installation is a huge grid made by Thomas Zander. I wasn't expecting it, but I was just blown away. I really applaud the gallery for making this presentation." © Tod Papageorge, courtesy Galerie Thomas Zander, Cologne Alexander Bassano (English, 1829-1913), Alice, Edith and Ina Liddell, 1876 or earlierCourtesy Hans P. Kraus Jr. Fine Photographs — "Hans Krauss is almost certainly one of the finest 19th century photography dealers in the world. He's at the fair for the first time this year and we're delighted that he's brought some rare photographs of the Lidell sisters." Alexander Bassano / Hans Krauss Highlights from Photo London 2016 Prev Next

And as part of their 2010-2013 project Reflecting The Bright Lights – a glass portrait series on the emerging stars of the arts, fashion and music world – the artists captured talents Eddie Redmayne, Alice Dellal, Jaimie Winston and Oliver Sim (the XX) before they rose to fame.

Walter & Zoniel began to turn away from digital camera methods and employ early photographic techniques – making use of not only tintypes but also ambrotypes, pigment and salt printing – in 2008. “We like the uniqueness and individuality of it”, they remark about working in this physically and mentally demanding way. “It’s about creating things that no one has ever done before, there’s no politics, no satire - it’s just about creating unique, aesthetically beautiful objects that stand out. And about capturing the moment, of course.”

This idea of capturing the moment runs strongly throughout their practice. “Being in the present moment has been lost”, says Zoniel. “The long exposure required with our work means that everybody involved in the process is very much involved in the processing of that moment. It really puts you in the moment.”

Formationism and the Salt Print Selfie

Walter and Zoniel recently coined the term ‘Formationism’ as a way to describe and explain their approach. “It refers to a type of work that combines conceptualism with process-based work”, says Zoniel. “In the digital age the sharing of ideas has become so fast. We are concerned that this has led to the actual development of ideas to be lost. So all our work is very much about the marriage of the two elements,”

Recent additional projects by Walter & Zoniel include a performance-practice installation at the Tate Britain, titled Salt Print Selfie, and sitespecific public installations in Miami, San Francisco and Liverpool.

In July Walter & Zoniel will be continuing The Untouched at the V&A, where they will be turning the museum’s Prince Consort room into a camera to shoot their next round of “icons”. In total they expect to capture between fifteen and twenty subjects.

Walter & Zoniel’s The Untouched and Alpha-Ations will be on show for duration of Photo London 2016.