Mordançage Workshops

Welcome to Mordançage.

This unique classic process was developed by Jean-Pierre Sudre in France during the 1960s. It was based on an old process known as “etch-bleach” which results in a beautifully etched style of print.

During the process there are veils of chemical that “lift” from the work, and Sudre’s student, Elizabeth Opalenik, made her mark on the process when she decided (to Sudre’s horror at first) that’s she was going to keep the veils, learn to manipulate them and create another layer of art that hadn’t existed. The “draping effect” was born. The new process created a style that allowed the photographer to be a hands on artist creating an image that will never be recreated – not even from the same negative, the same image by the same artist. Each piece is completely unique and original.

Mordançage is an alternative photographic process that alters silver gelatin prints to give them a degraded effect. The Mordançage solution works in two ways: it chemically bleaches the print so that it can be redeveloped, and it lifts the black areas of the emulsion away from the paper giving the appearance of veils. Once the emulsion is lifted, it can then be removed or manipulated depending on the desired outcome. Areas where the emulsion was removed appear to be in relief. These prints can become oxidized during their creation, further altering the tonality of the image.

In 2023 after numerous workshops and guidance by Elizabeth Opalenik, Victoria McKay was given her blessing to follow her passion with the art, continuing the legacy and handing down the skills, knowledge and experience to make sure this process never dies.

Honoured to have been taught and mentored by Elizabeth, and guided by the brilliant Ellie Young of Gold Street Studios, Red Chair Studio is proud to announce the workshops will begin before the end of 2024, in Silvan Australia. Come and see the magic this process reveals, find yourself lost within the world of subtle manipulation and creative excitement while you too find your heart stolen by this alternate process.