Collection: VIA: WAY OF THE STREETS by Jacob Sammut

VIA: The Way of The Streets
12th to 29th May 2023


VIA: The way through which one passes.  The pictures presented in this exhibition with works by Jacob Sammut document the human element in the streets, describing life to date. It stands not only to teach people today what our lives are like but also to stand as a tool to educate those who get to see the photos in the years to come. The small selection of images used in this first edition of ‘VIA’ has been chosen from a vast archive of work that I started working on in 2014. The photographs are to be treated as documents to be preserved and archived for future generations to see. They were shot using 35mm or 120 medium-format, black and white film, which were then developed and hand-printed on fibre based paper in the darkroom.

What is a silver gelatin print?
A silver gelatin photograph or print is a black-and-white image exposed from an analogue film negative using only optical and chemical processes. The process yields an image with deep blacks, organic texture and a timeless look.

 Film Development
After shooting the exposed film is developed using a careful 3-step chemical process. The resulting negative is then washed and dried. Details of the process will irreversibly determine qualities of the final image such as graininess and contrast.

Enlarging
Next the negative is optically projected onto photographic paper using a mix of blue and green light. Finally, creative adjustments to the image are made by manipulating light during enlargement. This and subsequent steps are performed in a darkroom illuminated with red lights to protect light-sensitive materials.

Processing
The exposed photographic paper is treated in 3 consecutive chemical baths. The exposed image is revealed, and the remaining photosensitive substances are removed. Handling is done carefully to avoid damage to the wet paper.

Washing
The print is washed and soaked in 3 different stages for an hour. Removing residual chemicals from paper fibres is critical for the longevity of the final photograph.

Why Silver Gelatin?
A silver gelatin photograph has no inks or pigments. It consists of microscopic silver particles bound in a layer of gelatin. This makes for a lasting image proven by the 150-year history of the process.
Visually silver gelatin yields uniquely neutral black-and-white images with deep blacks and subtle nuances.

Christine X Curated, Tigne street c/w Hughes Hallet street, Sliema
www.christinexcurated.com