Nolan Preece, Untitled
Written by NEHMA's Intern Emma Crumbley
November 28, 2014
Nolan Preece is a Salt Lake City based artist who focuses on various experimental
and alternative photographic processes. In this untitled work, Preece’s manipulation
of the “chemigram” demonstrates the significance of often overlooked darkroom processes.
The chemigram, invented in 1956 by the Belgian artist Pierre Cordier, consists of
painting chemicals (most commonly fixer or developer) onto light sensitive photo paper,
creating an image somewhere between a photograph and a painting. Preece has created
his own adaptation of the chemigram, using acrylics rather than chemicals, to paint
the light sensitive paper.
In this piece, Preece has used traditional photographic methods to create the leaves
in the lower half of the picture, and his own chemographic process to create the watercolor-like
painting in the upper half. The juxtaposition of the actual photographic image with
the powerful, dreamlike chemigram creates a harsh contrast, where the photograph provides
depth and reality, and the chemigram an otherworldly ethereal feeling. In terms of
understanding the complexity of such pieces, Preece writes, 'The images are more accurately
felt than observed.'

Nolan Preece
American, b. 1947
Untitled, 1983
Chemigram
13 x 16 inches
Museum Permanent Collection