New Acquisitions and Previously Unexhibited Work from the Jonathan Ross Hologram Collection.
13th - 30th March 2001
Private view was held on Tuesday 27th March 6.30 - 8.30pm
Since the Royal College of Art closed its Holography Department in 1995 very few artists have had the opportunity to work with holography in this country, and it is sad for a hologram collector that many of the artists who were working with the medium are no longer doing so - or at least not producing new work. It would seem, in retrospect, that the 1980s and early 90s were what might be considered the first Golden Age of Holography, a period during which the basic recording techniques were developed into a whole repertoire of different styles.
In the absence of new work coming on to the market in recent years, I have concentrated on collecting further examples of holograms by the British artists I first came to know during the 1980s and whose work I particularly admire; Jon Mitton, Patrick Boyd and Caroline Palmer amongst others. Some of these are featured in this exhibition along with other works I have recently acquired and some that I have had for several years but not had the chance to show, such as Martin Richardson’s study of my late cousin, Auberon Waugh, and Martin’s marvellous ‘Mathematical Chef’ which is a replacement copy on HRT emulsion of the original Ilford copy that was broken a few years ago (connoisseur info.). I have also acquired a few pieces by American-based artists when I have had the opportunity: Doris Vila, Alexander, August Muth, and John Kaufman, who I exhibited in the gallery last summer.
Some artists’ work is now becoming quite rare, as they did not make large editions in the firstplace, and hard to trace as there is no established secondary market in holography. I started collecting Margaret Benyon’s work in 1985, by which time she had already produced a considerable body of work. Recently I have tried to fill in some gaps in my collection and it has taken several years of negotiation to get the pieces I wanted. Now I am proud to own one of Margaret’s first laser transmission works, Interference Box (1969), a beautiful mixed-media piece from her Australian period, Secret Sacred III (1979/2000), and three pulsed laser pieces from her Conjugal Series (1983). Interference Box is being shown on a new laser diode display, designed by Mike Anderson
Collecting holograms seems to me to be part of developing a relationship with an artist and, not surprisingly, the artists whose work I have acquired most of have been those with whom I have had the most contact - either because we have worked together on exhibitions or have been involved in other projects, or because we have become friends. Some artists leave their work with me on consignment so I can show it to people who visit my archive - after a while I often want to add it to the collection. I am essentially a collector rather than a dealer and it can be hard to sell a work if you really want it yourself.
I look forward to a resurgence of creativity amongst British holographers - some of the finest in the world - but in the meantime I am enjoying making a more detailed study of a very interesting period in the development of the medium.
Jonathan Ross
March 2001
Work in the exhibition.
Links are provided to artists who have other images and information available on this site.
INTERFERENCE BOX
MARGARET BENYON 1969
Laser transmission hologram (glass plate)
illuminated with laser diode
TWO COLOR MOIRE SCREEN
JOHN KAUFMAN 1985
Glass reflection hologram
MATHEMATICAL CHEF
MARTIN RICHARDSON
Original made on Ilford plate 1988
broken whilst on loan 1994
Copy on HRT plate made 1998
Glass reflection hologram
RAKE
JOHN KAUFMAN 1986
Glass reflection hologram
DOROTHEA, BLUE MOON, ECLIPSE
DAVID PIZZANELLI 1990
Mirror-backed white light transmission hologram
LARGE CIRCLES
MARTIN WALL 199 2
Glass reflection holograms
HANDS AND RICE
MARGARET BENYON 1983
Glass reflection hologram
PILE OF HANDS
MARGARET BENYON 1983
Glass reflection hologram
HANDS AND FREESIAS 2
MARGARET BENYON 1983
Glass reflection hologram
FIRE
DORIS VILA 1990
Glass reflection hologram
LIMBIC SYSTEM
JO FAIRFAX 1997
Glass reflection hologram
STUDY FOR ‘THE HOUSE OF MOONS’
SUSAN COWLES 1988
Film reflection hologram
DUET FOR PAINTING & LIGHT, IMAGE NO.2
ALEXANDER 1996
Oil on canvas with hologram
COLOUR STUDY
ANDREW PEPPER /ERIC KRANTZ 1993
Mirror-backed white light glass plate transmission hologram
FFACES
JON MITTON 1992
Glass reflection hologram
TEMPORARY MEASURE
PATRICK BOYD 1988
Dupont Photopolymer reflection hologram,laminated to glass
COCAINE
JON MITTON 1992
Glass reflection hologram
SECRET SACRED III
MARGARET BENYON 1979/2000
Glass reflection hologram and artwork
in ink, gouache and feather on paper
with integral perspex frame
STUDY OF AUBERON WAUGH
MARTIN RICHARDSON 1992
Film reflection hologram
ALBERT HALL
PATRICK BOYD 1987
Dupont Photopolymer reflection hologram
HOLOGRAPHIC JEWELLERY
AUGUST MUTH 2000
Dichromate gelatin glass holograms
with silver and semi-precious stones displayed on
THAI GIRL
CAMILLA SHIVARG
