Wet Plate Collodion International Collaborative Collection
"The Mask Series"
Images Captured from International Artists with a Common Prop Theme
*****CLICK HERE TO BUY THE MASK SERIES PICTURE BOOK AT COST*****
The Goal
:The goal for this series is to raise awareness of the historic wet plate technique as an art form. This will allow artists that normally do not have a chance to share their work to participate in a collaborated effort with other artists from around the world. The ultimate goal is to have the collection shown in a gallery as a complete body of work and hopefully have it published in a picture book. This is the largest wet plate collaboration in the history of mankind.
The Prop:
The prop that must be used in each image is a vintage Czech M10 gas mask. This ambiguous prop from decades ago is perfect for this series. It levels the playing field for each artist. It also highlights and allows the perspective, composition and personal taste of the artist to be the focus. Some artists may find it an inspiration, while others may view it to be a crutch or hindrance. The end result will be the unique vision of each individual artist. Gas masks have historically been used to protect people and citizens usually in times of war. In other situations a mask can be used to hide the identity of its wearer. The gas mask is also very symbolic to the wet plate process since many hazardous and caustic chemicals are used during the development of the images and most wet plate studios use gas masks on a daily basis. This type of vintage gas mask also has a presence and cannot be easily ignored. If the prop used for this process was a shirt or hat for instance, someone may not draw a line from one artist image to another's. With the gas mask, the viewer will quickly realize the common thread amongst the pieces of work, and can then identify and understand the purpose of the collection.
The
Project and Process:Once an artist decides to participate and take up the challenge, a gas mask will be sent to them. The artist then produces a wet plate collodion image of any size or type that works best for them. Traditionally, images are captured on glass (ambrotype) or metal (tin type). The only restrictions put upon the artist is that the image must be a true wet plate collodion image and that the mask appears somewhere in the image. The image and the mask is then returned so it can be sent to the next artist in line. The positive response to this series has been so great that a group of gas masks will be used so that more than one artist can be working on the project at a time. These same "traveling" masks will be used by everyone and can eventually be displayed with the collection. Once the artist returns the image that he or she has produced, it will be scanned and shared on this website. The original piece of work will be safely archived for later use for displaying a complete collection with the original masks.
The Promise:
It is the promise of this collaboration that everyone who wants to be involved will be involved. There is no selection process. If someone wants to participate, they will be given the opportunity and their work will be given the same relevance and importance as anyone else in the group. Each artist will have as much time and they deem necessary with the mask to capture their image. There is no cost to be involved, the only out of pocket expense an artist has it to pay postage for the mask and the image back to the below address. All other costs and expenses for the project will be covered by myself.
Completion:
On September 19th, 2018 the Mask Series received its final submission, a plate by Scott Anton. On May 10th, 2019, a picture book titled "The Mask Series: An International Wet Plate Collaboration" was put together by Shane Balkowitsch on Blurb. 101 artists from 20 different countries were involved. The book is being sold AT COST via Print on Demand to anyone who is interested. https://www.blurb.com/books/9461027-the-mask-series
It has been an honor to take on this marathon of a photographic project and bring it to completion. We are still in search of any venues for an exhibition and the plates can be made available to anyone worldwide. This series has taken us 6 years to complete and is most likely the largest wet plate collaboration in the history of the historic process. I want to thank each and every person that trusted in my vision and took the time out of their life to participate.
CLICK HERE to learn about the Wet Plate Technique
If you have any questions or comments, please contact:
Nostalgic Glass Wet Plate Studio
2703 Big Sky Circle
Bismarck, ND 58503 USA
shane@balkowitsch.com
(701)426-7630 Phone
2022 Exhibition in Slovenia!
CLICK HERE to see the Mask Series Official Blog Site
CLICK HERE to see video of Dan Kennedy shooting his Mask Plate "Hannya"
CLICK HERE to see video of Gerald Figal shooting his Mask Plate "Lungs"
CLICK HERE to see video of Marcos Núñez Cid shooting his Mask Plate "Aladin 2050"
CLICK HERE to see video of Misa Keskenovic shooting his Mask Plate "American Concept"
CLICK HERE to see video of Borut Peterlin shooting his Mask Plate in Slovenia "What Else is There?"
CLICK HERE to see video of Alex Timmermans shooting his Mask Plate "Too Long Exposure"
CLICK HERE to see Gerald Figal's "Lungs" Plate Featured at Mysterious Visions Exhibition
CLICK HERE to see The Mask Series featured in an Article by PetaPixel, April 5th 2013
CLICK HERE to see The Mask Series featured in an Article by Mode Bulb from France, May 13th 2013
CLICK
HERE to
see The Mask Series featured in an Article by The Hand Magazine, October 2013
CLICK HERE to see The Mask Series featured on the Alternative Photography Website, December 4th 2013
CLICK HERE to see The Mask Series mentioned in Lomography, January 2015
CLICK HERE to
see World Google Map of Location of Artists Participating
The Mask Series
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By: Shane Balkowitsch Title: "The Last Flower" 5" x 7" Ambrotype on Clear Glass Country: United States Date: 12/7/2012 |
By: Clement Jamet Title: Untitled 5" x 7" Ambrotype on Clear Glass Country: France
Date: 12/13/2012
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By: Justin Brockey Title: "Immerse" 4 " x 6" Ambrotype on Clear GlassCountry: United States Date: 1/7/2013
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By: Gerald Figal
Title: "Lungs"
8 Country:
United States
Date: 1/8/2013
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By: Heather Oelklaus Title: "Mail Fail / Male Fell"
3.5" x
4.5" Tintype (Aluminum) Country:
United States
Date: 1/10/2013 |
By: Andreas Reh Title: "Breathless" 7.25" x 9.25" Ambrotype on Clear Glass Country: Germany Date: 1/13/2013 |
By: Julia Bailey Title: "Free At Last" 5" x 7" Tintype Country: United States Date: 1/20/13 |
By: Bill Vaughn Title: "Life After The Bomb" 5 " x 7" TintypeCountry: United States Date: 2/2/13 |
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By: Daniel Kennedy Title: "Hannya" 2.5 " x 2.5" TintypeCountry: United States Date: 2/4/13 |
By: Alexey Savchenco Title: "Foreign" 24cm x 30cm Ambrotype Country: Russia Date: 2/10/13 |
By: Sergey Potapov Title: "Yes-Yes" 8" x 10" AmbrotypeCountry: Russia Date: 2/10/13 |
By: Brian Cuyler Title: "Altered Childhood" 5" x 7" TintypeCountry: United States Date: 2/15/13 |
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By: Franklin Annink Title: "Respiratio" 5" x 7" AmbrotypeCountry: The Netherlands Date: 2/17/13 |
By: Clarke Galusha Title: "Growth" 3.5" x 4.5" TintypeCountry: United States Date: 3/25/13 |
By: Ted MishimaTitle: "Bound by Circumstance, Bound by Choice" 4" x 5" TintypeCountry: United States Date: 3/28/13 |
By: Indra Moonen Title: "Le Reve Noir" 8" x 10" AmbrotypeCountry: The Netherlands Date: 4/1/13 |
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By: Trevor Foon Title: "The Last Post" 4" x 5" TintypeCountry: Australia Date: 4/16/13 |
By: Arold va der Aa Title: "Black Swan" 8" x 10" Black AmbrotypeCountry: The Netherlands Date: 4/19/13 |
By: Raewyn Dunn Title: "What Lies Beyond" 5" x 17" Black Plexi Glass (Acrylic)Country: New Zealand Date: 4/23/13 |
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By: Brett Jurgens Title: "Siobhan at Quinn's" 16" x 20" Ambrotype Country: United States Date: 4/30/13 |
By: Peter van Hal Title: "Metamorphosis" 10" x 8" Grey Ambrotype Country: Holland Date: 5/15/13 |
By: Kelly-Shane Fuller Title: "Obraz M10 - Desiva Kraska" 4" x 5" Black Plexi Glass (Acrylic)Country: United States |
By: Sam Reed Title: "Party is Over" 4.25" x 5.25" Ambrotype Country: United States Date: 6/2/13 |
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By: Betsy Reed Title: "Symbiosis" 4.25" x 5.25" Tintype Country: United States Date: 6/2/13 |
By: Mary Lou (Maire) Reed Title: "Lost World "4.25" x 3.25" Black Ambrotype Country: United States Date: 6/2/13 |
By: Gordon Fraser Title: "The Scream" 8.5" x 6.5" Ambrotype Country: United Kingdom Date: 6/10/13 |
By: John Coffer Title: "Dangerous Digital" - Self Portrait 4.25" x 5.5" Ferrotype Country: United States Date: 6/18/13 |
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By: Isabel Leeson Title: "Nowhere to Hide" 10" x 12" Ambrotype Country: Belgium Date: 7/26/13 |
By: Ines Opifanti Title: "Disappearance" 16cm x 16cm Tintypes (Series of 4)Country: Germany Date: 7/28/13 |
By: Alex Timmermans Title: "Too Long Exposure" 26cm x 26cm Tintype on Dibond Aluminum Country: Holland Date: 7/29/13 |
By: Alastair Cook Title: "Held" 5" x 4" Tintype Country: United Kingdom Date: 8/28/13 |
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By: Tim Ingmire Title: "Witness to a Death" a triptych 4" x 5" Aluminotype Country: United Kingdom Date: 8/29/13
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By: Cliff Barnes (Bernhard Runde) Title: "The Making Of" 13cm x 18 cm Ambrotype Country: Germany Date: 10/28/13 |
By: Tony Richards Title: "If Your Face Fits!" 8.5" x 6.5" Tintype Country: United Kingdom Date: 11/5/13 |
By: Kate Horsley Title: "The Cry" 5" x 7" Ambrotype Country: United Kingdom Date: 11/6/13 |
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By: John Brewer Title: "Molten Mask" 5" x 7" Tintype Country: United Kingdom Date: 11/7/13
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By: Frank Adami Title: "Below the Mask" 18cm x 24cm Tintype Country: Germany Date: 11/9/13 |
By: Jonathan Keys Title: "Quick" 8" x 10" Ambrotype Country: United Kingdom Date: 11/17/13 |
By: Tim Scott Title: "GAss Mask" 5" x 7" Tintype Country: United States Date: 11/18/13 |
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By: Flora Meszaros Title: "Uncensored" 4" x 5" Ambrotype Country: Spain Date: 11/24/13
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By: Amber Maitland Hamilton Title: "The Fishing Trip" 5" x 7" Tintype
Country:
United States Date: 1/10/14 |
By: Luke Olsen Title: "Hailey with Gas Mask" 4" x 5" Tintype Country: United States Date: 1/13/14 |
By: Jan Kratochvil Title: "I Cannot Escape and I Cannot Forget" 8" x 10" Ambrotype Country: Czech Republic Date: 1/15/14 |
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By: Maciek Lesniak Title: "Post Nuclear Breakfast" 13 x 18 cm Tintype Country: Poland Date: 3/28/14
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By: Marcos Núñez CidTitle: "Aladin 2050" 5" x 7" Ambrotype Country: Spain Date: 4/16/14 |
By: Misa Keskenovic Title: "American Concept" 18 x 24cm Ambrotype Country: Serbia Date: 4/28/14 |
By: John Milleker, Jr. Title: "Industry" 4.5" x 5.5" Tintype Country: United States Date: 5/9/14 |
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By: Daniel Afzal Title: Untitled 11" x 11" Ambrotype Country: United States Date: 5/12/14
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By: Borut Peterlin Title: "What Else is There?" 5" x 7" Ambrotype Country: Slovenia Date: 5/18/14 |
By: David Weaver
Title: "Gassed Mask"
4" x 5" Tintype Country: United States Date: 6/25/14 |
By: Allan Barnes
Title: Untitled
4.25" x 5.5" Tintype (half plate) Country: United States Date: 7/10/14 |
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By: Jeff Howlett Title: Hail the Apocalypse 9cm x 12cm Tintype
Country:
United States Date: 8/12/14
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By: John Fink Jr. Title: Sister's A Gas 5" x 7" TintypeCountry: United States Date: 8/27/14 |
By: Lola Montserrat Title: "Not Arrived on Time"
28.5cm x 12cm Aluminotype
Country:
Spain Date: 8/27/14 |
By: James Weber Title: Road Trippin' 4" x 5" Tintype Country: United States Date: 10/19/14 |
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By: Fausti Llucia Title: Waiting for Nesting Birds 119mm x 170mm Tintype Country: Spain Date: 10/20/14
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By: Fernanda Larrain Title: Freedom and Gremlins
8" x 10" Ambrotype
Country:
Chile Date: 10/20/14 |
By: Vernon Trent Title: Paganina 8cm x 10cm Black Glass Ambrotype Country: Germany Date: 10/21/14 |
By: Jamie Johnson Title: Trick or Treat 4" x 5" Tintype Country: United States Date: 10/25/14 |
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By: Sebastien Kohler Title: The Tribe 8" x 10" Glass Ambrotype Country: Switzerland Date: 10/26/14
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By: Jacqueline Roberts Title: The Scream (II) 8" x 10" Tintypes (Diptych) Country: Germany Date: 10/24/14 |
By: Casey Carlin Title: Outcast 4.25" x 5.5" Black Glass AmbrotypeCountry: United Kingdom Date: 12/7/14 |
By: Maciej Tobola Title: The Mask 18cm x 24cm Glass AmbrotypeCountry: Poland Date: 12/22/14 |
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By: Tatyana Savchenko Title: Stuffing 24cm x 30cm Glass AmbrotypeCountry: Russia Date: 1/17/15
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By: Pawel Smialek Title: Mask 18cm x 24cm Glass AmbrotypeCountry: Polland Date: 1/26/15 |
By: Tony Sehgal Title: The Last Man on Earth
4.25" by 5.5"
Glass Ambrotype
Country:
United States
Date: 3/4/15 |
By: Enisha Sehgal Title: Chemical Haze 4.25" by 5.5" Tintype Country: United States Date: 3/13/15 |
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By: Lukasz Rosenberg (Fiszo Fil) Title: First Day of Spring 18cm by 24cm Clear Glass Ambrotype Country: Poland Date: 3/24/15
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By: Christine Eadie Title: The Demise of Truth 5" by 7" Tintype Country: United States Date: 4/12/15 |
By: Simon Harbord Title: The Source of All Our Secrets 8" by 10" Tintype Country: Scotland Date: 5/1/15 |
By: Olaf Be Gud Title: FishMask 4" by 5" Tintype Country: France Date: 5/19/15 |
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By: Emma Powell Title: Untitled 5" by 8" by 4" Acrylic (3 Pieces) Country: United States Date: 5/20/15 |
By: Joaquin Barbara Title: Gas Mask and Rose Petals 4" by 5" Tintype Country: United States Date: 6/29/15 |
By: Anton Orlov Title: True Face 7.6" by 9.6" Tintype Country: United States Date: 7/4/15 |
By: Christopher Gries Title: Recycled 4" by 5" Ambrotype Country: United Kingdom Date: 7/9/15 |
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By: Carol S. Dass Title: Untitled 4.5" by 5.5" Alumnitype Country: United States Date: 7/29/15
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By: Julien Pironin Title: Forgotten Thing 20cm by 25cm Alumnitype Country: France Date: 10/8/15 |
By: Joel Nepper Title: Reflection 20cm by 20cm Mirrortype Country: Luxembourg Date: 10/9/15 |
By: Isa Trucco Title: D-Fence 5" by 7" Tintype Country: Italy Date: 11/9/15 |
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By: Michele Sirgany Cole Title: Bio Hazard 5" by 7" Tintype Country: United States Date: 1/18/16
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By: Chris Madsen Title: Creep 11" by 14" Tintype Country: United States Date: 1/31/16 |
By: Jalo Porkkala Title: Woods Welcome 15cm by 24cm Tintype Country: Finland Date: 1/31/16 |
By: Dahl Raimo Title: Mask Writer 10" by 12" Tintype Country: Finland Date: 2/12/16 |
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By: James Wigger Title: The Thoughts of Man
4" by 5" Tintype
Country:
United States
Date: 2/14/16
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By: Marcus Gabriel Title: Queen of Utopia 8" by 10" Ambrotype Country: Italy Date: 4/21/16 |
By: Dennis Ziliotto Title: The Apocalypse Clown 18cm by 24cm Ambrotype Country: Italy Date: 4/27/16 |
By: Eleonora Pellegir Title: Europe.16 13cm by 24cm Tintype Country: Italy Date: 5/11/16 |
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By: Dale Bernstein Title: Untitled 5" by 7" TintypeCountry: United States Date: 7/13/16
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By: Zelko Nedic Title: Untitled 8" by 10" TintypeCountry: Australia Date: 7/22/16 |
By: Mike Rostok Title: Transit ID 3.3" by 4.9" Ambrotype Country: Austria Date: 8/2/16 |
By: Kal Khogali Title: To Be or Not To Be (A Question for Humanity) 8" by 10" Aluminum Plate Country: China Date: 8/14/16 |
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By: Marcin Szwaczko Title: Lost Days 10" by 12" PlexiglassCountry: Poland Date: 8/15/16
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By: Conrad Young Title: Tea Time Chaos 5" by 7" TintypeCountry: United States Date: 9/12/16 |
By: James Walker Title: The Disaster We Made 8" by 10" Alumatype Country: United States Date: 11/10/16 |
By: Artjom Uffelman Title: Anonymity 8" by 10" Black Glass Ambrotype Country: Germany Date: 12/4/16 |
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By: Adrian Whipp Title: Shelter in Place 8" by 10" Tintype Country: United States Date: 2/27/17 |
By: Fabrizio Leonarduzzi Title: Sirin, Gas e Pax 13cm by 18cm AmbrotypeCountry: Italy Date: 4/15/17 |
By: Ray Spence Title: Mother and Child
5" by 5" Ambrotype
Country:
United Kingdom
Date: 5/1/17 |
By: Lincoln Nybladh Title: Red State 3.5" by 4.5" Ambrotype Country: United States Date: 1/18/18 |
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By: Serge Romanov Title: Post-Apocalyptic Snail 30 by 40cm Ambrotype Country: Russia Date: 1/15/15
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By: Scott Anton Title: The Sacrifice of Love by Evil 11" x 14" Ambrotype Country: United States Date: 9/12/18 |
Supporters
Survey: The Practice of Alternative Photographic Processes Worldwide
http://www.alternativephotography.com/wp/processes/wetplate/the-wetplate-collodion-process
"Antiquarian Avant-Garde Art and Processes" run by Kaden Kratzer, a friend to the Mask Series.
Moderated by our friend John Fink, Jr.
"
A mon imaginaire" is a friend of The Mask Series
Copyright Note: All referenced photographs, images and logos provided above are for informational purposes only and they are the property of their respective owners. The Wet Plate Mask images in the top banner was contributed by Gordon Fraser and it graces the front cover of the official picture book for the series.