Pierre Cordier is considered the father of the chemigram,
a print made by exposing photographic paper and chemicals to light without the
use of a camera or film. He brushed, rolled, or sprayed household products such
as honey, syrup, oil, varnish, wax, and adhesives onto paper and then soaked it
alternately in developer and fixer. Each material reacts in its own way with
the paper and the developing chemistry, remaining firmly in place or rinsing
off easily, so that different tones come through at different stages of the
processing. The results push the boundaries of the photographic medium by incorporating
the techniques and materials of abstract painting. This photograph exemplifies
his chemigrams at the time when they had come into their own. The gestural
forms generated by the rich juxtaposition of deep purple, gold, and black
against the black-and-white gelatin silver paper suggest a collection of
fossils or ancient hieroglyphs.