Chrysopoeia - Silver Fragments

Dissolution presents  Chrysopoeia – Silver Fragments. The show is dedicated to film photography featuring unique gelatin silver prints made individually using traditional methods. Chrysopoeia is the ancient Greek term for the alchemic conversion of a base metal, such as lead, into gold.

 

Artists:

Guram Tsibakhashvili

Tatia Tsertsvadze

Gvantsa Tskhovrebashvili

 

Guram Tsibakhashvili has an important place in Georgian photography, documenting regional wars and public figures during the 1990’s. Tsibakhashvili worked as a chemist prior to become a photographer, initially shooting as a hobbyist until the collapse of the Soviet Union. Throughout the 1990s, Tsibakhashvili joined a photo collective that led Georgian photography into the 21st century. Tsibakhashvili has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions, both in Georgia and internationally. He also teaches photography and darkroom techniques, further contributing to the development of Georgian photography. Many of his students continue his tradition and lead Georgia’s contemporary photography movement.

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Tatia Tsertsvadze was a student of Tsibakhashvili who developed her style and technique in his photography course. ‘I remember walking home with sad thoughts,’ Tsertsvadze says. ‘I noticed the reflection of my shadow and started taking photos. In those seconds the sadness also disappeared.'

She found herself through photography and in the darkroom where she prints photos, a process that maximizes expression. Today she continuously works on new projects. The exhibition presents her works from the series Sleeping Voices, a search for herself.

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Gvantsa Tskhovrebashvili started shooting on film in 2019 after completing the Nakani-Mamasakhlisi Photography Course, which laid the foundation for her photography style. This medium became her calling when purchased her first film camera, which was medium format. To date her work is mostly in this format. Tkhovrebashvili’s work is primarily portraiture, including self-portraits, which convey a sense of melancholy. "I think each of my photos is a fragment of a non-existent story, the mood of which is conveyed by the image. The viewer must in turn fill in the story themselves.’ Photography became more interesting to her when she started darkroom printing. 'Working in the darkroom makes photography even more diverse and interesting. You can get completely different prints from one negative. I enjoy printing more than taking photos lately; I feel like I’m creating something new when I put the photo paper in the chemistry and the image slowly appears.’