Chemigrams

Overview

Chemigrams are abstract photographic images created by applying photographic chemistry directly to light-sensitive paper, often in full room light. The process combines elements of painting, printmaking, and photography, producing unique images through the interaction of resists, developers, and fixers with silver gelatin emulsion.

Invented by Belgian artist Pierre Cordier in 1956, the chemigram occupies a space between photography and painting—using photographic materials but abandoning the camera entirely.

How It Works

The chemigram exploits the competition between developer and fixer acting on photographic paper:

• Developer converts silver halides to metallic silver (dark tones)
• Fixer removes unexposed silver halides (light tones, paper base)
• Resists (varnish, wax, oil, syrup) protect areas from chemistry
• Light fogs exposed areas, adding another variable

By controlling which chemistry reaches which areas—and in what sequence—the artist creates imagery through chemical painting.

Basic Process

1. Prepare paper: Work in room light with black-and-white photographic paper.

2. Apply resist: Use varnish, wax, oil, honey, egg, or other materials to mask areas.

3. Immerse in chemistry: Alternate between developer and fixer baths. Each immersion changes the image.

4. Build up layers: Repeat resist application and chemical immersion to develop complex imagery.

5. Final fix and wash: When satisfied, fix thoroughly and wash to archival standards.

Materials

Paper

• Black-and-white silver gelatin paper (fibre-based often preferred)
• Different papers produce different tonal ranges
• Expired paper works well and may produce unexpected colours

Resists

Any material that blocks chemistry from reaching the emulsion:

Chemistry

• Standard paper developer (e.g., Dektol, Multigrade developer)
• Standard fixer
• Both diluted more than normal (1:4 or weaker) for slower, more controllable reactions
• Optional: toners for colour

Working Methods

The Cordier Method

Pierre Cordier's classic approach:

1. Apply resist to dry paper
2. Immerse in developer—unresisted areas darken
3. Immerse in fixer—unresisted, undeveloped areas clear
4. Repeat with new resist patterns and chemistry cycles

Wet-on-Wet

Apply resists to paper pre-soaked in water or chemistry for different edge effects and blending.

Local Application

Apply developer and fixer directly with brushes, sponges, or droppers rather than immersion.

Timed Sequences

Careful timing of chemistry exposure creates specific tonal effects—fast developer dips for grays, prolonged for blacks.

Variables and Control

Developer

• Fresh developer: clean blacks
• Exhausted developer: warmer tones, slower action
• Dilution affects speed and tone

Fixer

• Fresh fixer clears quickly
• Exhausted fixer works slowly, may produce colours
• Acid vs. alkaline fixers behave differently

Temperature

• Warmer chemistry works faster
• Cold chemistry allows more control

Light

• Room light fogs paper continuously
• This can be used creatively or minimized by working quickly
• Some practitioners work in dim light for more control

Paper

• Different emulsions respond differently
• Multigrade papers offer different contrast
• Warm-tone vs. cold-tone papers affect final colour

Colour in Chemigrams

Though using black-and-white materials, chemigrams often produce colours:

• Browns/sepias: From exhausted or contaminated chemistry
• Purples/blues: From certain resist/chemistry interactions
• Pinks: Some papers produce pink in transition zones
• Yellows: From incomplete fixing or certain chemical reactions

Toning after completion can add additional colours.

Aesthetic Considerations

Chemigrams exist at the intersection of:

• Control and chance: Resist placement is deliberate; chemistry is somewhat unpredictable
• Time-based process: The image develops over repeated cycles
• Material exploration: Different resists and chemistry create different marks
• Abstraction: Most chemigrams are non-representational

The process rewards experimentation and accepts accidents as part of the aesthetic.

Technical Notes

Working Environment

• Well-ventilated space
• Chemistry trays arranged for easy access
• Paper towels for blotting
• Protective apron/clothing (chemistry will splash)

Chemistry Life

• Developer exhausts as it works
• Fixer exhausts and becomes contaminated with developer
• Both effects can be used creatively
• Replace chemistry when it becomes too unpredictable

Final Processing

After the image is complete:

1. Fix thoroughly (at least 2 minutes in fresh fixer)
2. Wash according to paper type (FB paper needs longer wash)
3. Optional: tone for colour or archival properties
4. Dry flat or hang

Safety

Standard darkroom safety practices apply. The main additional consideration is solvent-based resists, which should be used with appropriate ventilation.

Getting Started

For first experiments:

1. Use any black-and-white paper
2. Start with simple resists (varnish, petroleum jelly)
3. Work in cycles: resist → developer → fixer → resist → repeat
4. Keep notes on timing and materials
5. Embrace unpredictability

Characteristics

• Abstract, painterly imagery
• Unique one-of-a-kind works
• Combines photographic and painterly gestures
• Rich tonal range and subtle colours
• Process-oriented—the making is visible in the result
• No camera, lens, or negative required

Historical Context

Pierre Cordier coined the term "chemigram" in 1958, though related techniques existed earlier. He systematized the approach and spent decades exploring its possibilities. His work established chemigrams as a distinct art form within photography.

Contemporary practitioners continue to expand the technique, combining it with digital negatives, alternative process emulsions, and conceptual frameworks.

Further Reading

Pierre Cordier, Le chimigramme – The chemigram (Racine, 2007) Bilingual French/English monograph by the inventor of the process. 253 pages marking the 50th anniversary of chemigrams, with texts by Michel Butor, Michel Poivert, and Pierre Sterckx. The definitive reference from the master.

Christina Z. Anderson, The Experimental Darkroom (Routledge) Part of the Contemporary Practices series. Covers chemigrams alongside other experimental techniques.

Christopher James, The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes, 3rd Edition (Cengage Learning, 2015) The definitive comprehensive text on alternative processes, with coverage of chemigrams.

AlternativePhotography.com Free articles on chemigrams with practical tutorials and contemporary practitioner profiles.