I have been asked by museums, "Do you have silver prints?"
Bill,
I get asked if my Piezography prints are silver prints. To me they have a look all their own, but it is wishful thinking and excitement of a good print that frames their questions, "Is that a wet print?" or "Is that a silver print?"
Pretty clear to me that in B&W silver prints are held in high esteem.
Funny thing is the confusion when I reveal they are ink jet prints. LOL.
To me a good image is a good image.
I put a good amount of thought into my Digital printing. I only print glossy. With Piezography glossy there is a "gloss overcoat" that gets rid of bronzing and materism, but the benefit of printing glossy is that an ink jet print becomes durable and can handle handling.
One of the things my mentor Robert Rodriguez taught me is the wonder of having someone hold a fiber print in the hand. It truely is a wonderful experience to hold a fine print in the hand. Robert taught me the tactile difference between the Canson Baryta , a cellulose paper, and Platine Fibre Rag, a 100% cotton paper.
Robert says for behind glass use the Baryta (cellulose) to save money, but for a portfolio where someone is going to handle the prints removed from a box of prints use the Platine (100% rag). The rag prints will often make the sale.
I print on Baryta papers for that smooth look. Also know at NYC Meet-Ups I take some of my spit, drool it over one of my prints, and squeege it off the print with my hand to show that my prints are not like other ink jet prints, meaning fragile.
I think this fragility of ink jet prints is the main reason why wet prints are perfered: wet prints are looked upon as being more durable, especially when not protected by glass and a frame.
Interesting to note that I saw some of the very same large Salgado prints from Genesis in a Chelsea gallery that were framed without any glass. WOW with triple exclaimation point.
Cal
