Darkroom Art: How to Create Exciting Innovative Images in Your Own Darkroom by Jerry Burchfield.

AMPHOTO, 1981.  Near fine in wraps with tiny spots of wear near top of spine. 160 pages.  Although intended for the analog photographer, this book is a fine reference for art historians and curators who need information about unusual darkroom printing techniques.  Chapters on film processing alternatives and special effects; creative alternatives with processed negatives and slides; photograms; basic print variations; making oversize prints; darkroom magic, including Sabattier Effect on black-and-white and color prints; multiple images; high-contrast techniques; posterization; and altering the finished print.  Well illustrated, mostly by Burchfield, with other photos by Barbara Kasten, JoAnn Callis, Robert Routh, Karen Truax, P.W. Derby, Jeff Gates, Mark Chamberlain, Sheila Pinkel, DeAnn Jennings, Bill Collins, Dinah Portner, Holly Wright, Laurie Brown, Keith Nakata, et al. Summary:

Published in 1981 by Amphoto, Darkroom Art: How to Create Exciting Innovative Images in Your Own Darkroom by Jerry Burchfield is an instructional guide that encourages analog photographers to move beyond "straight" printing and treat the darkroom as an experimental laboratory.

Core Focus & Philosophy

The book is a manifesto for creative manipulation. Burchfield, a master printer and educator, argues that the photographic process does not end when the shutter clicks. He advocates for using darkroom chemistry and optics as tools for personal expression, similar to a painter’s brush or a sculptor’s clay.

Key Techniques Covered

The book provides step-by-step technical instructions for several "alternative" and "experimental" processes that were popular in the late analog era:

• Solarization (The Sabattier Effect): Reversing tones by exposing the print to light during development.

• Multiple Imagery: Techniques for sandwiching negatives or using multiple enlargers to create surreal, layered compositions.

• High Contrast & Posterization: Using lithographic film to break images down into stark blacks, whites, and graphic planes of color.

• Hand-Coloring and Toning: Adding emotional depth through chemical toners or applying oils and dyes directly to the silver gelatin surface.

• Photograms: Creating "cameraless" images by placing objects directly onto light-sensitive paper.

Structure and Style

• Technical Clarity: Despite the "experimental" nature of the content, Burchfield provides rigorous, clear formulas and timing charts to ensure repeatable results.

• Visual Inspiration: The text is heavily illustrated with both the author’s own avant-garde work and examples from other contemporary artists, showcasing the "finished product" of the techniques described.

Legacy

Darkroom Art is a classic of the 1980s "process-oriented" photography movement. It remains a valuable resource for contemporary "alternative process" photographers and students who wish to explore the tactile, physical possibilities of silver-based photography in an increasingly digital world.