NOBLE: A Portrait Series
From Cultural Capital by Chris Macias:
Let’s close the camera phone for now and go back when photography required a wealth of patience and bit of magic in the darkroom. Miguel Gutierrez Jr. knows both worlds as a longtime photojournalist who can produce hundreds of images in minutes. He also pursues an artistic side that specializes in platinum-palladium printing. It’s a process that dates to the days of Alexander Graham Bell in the late 1800s with a meticulous wet chemistry process.
For the Sacramento-based photographer, this method requires up to an hour and much trial-and-error to develop a single print. Take the time and the results are often stunning, with a warm, ethereal quality that works especially well for portraits. Now, it’s time to view Gutierrez’s impeccable photos at NOBLE, an exhibit of his work that runs Friday through Nov. 12 at The Gallery at 48 Natoma in Folsom.
NOBLE’s portraits depict members of the Sacramento members cultural community, including the botanist/musician Liz Lopez and muralist Jose Di Gregorio. The exhibit was months in the making, from printing the photos to framing them from the show.
“We walk around with phones in our pockets containing hundreds, if not thousands of photographs,” Gutierrez wrote in an email. “With this process, I’m forced to work with a single image for an indeterminate amount of time and turn it into a physical object. The result is something handmade, with imperfections, texture and life.”
You can hear more about Gutierrez’s methods and inspirations at an artist reception on Oct. 2. Take time to sink into this imagery and appreciate its place in a world of instant gratification.
“The process tests my skills as a photographer because it forces me to slow down and be much more intentional,” Gutierrez wrote. “A lot more can go wrong, but that’s also part of what I enjoy about the process. No two prints are ever the same.”
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