"Modern Victorian" photography on show at Arundel’s Zimmer Stewart Gallery for the Arundel Festival

James Stewart, curator at Zimmer Stewart Gallery, said: “Elizabeth Zeschin uses a hand-made large-format Austrian Lotus 8" x 10" rapid field view camera. If that was not hard enough, the glass negatives are then printed using the 19th-century salted paper direct (without enlargement) method devised by Henry Fox Talbot. This involves the printing out method, exposing the 8x10 negative to UV rays (sunlight), then a multi-stage development from prepared raw chemistry on paper. The resultant prints are contemporary in composition but have a wonderful vintage feel as a result of the gold tone used.

“For the Arundel Gallery Trail we will exhibit a selection from Zeschin's Endangered Species and Parham House series with some cyanotypes and monotypes. Born in Los Angeles, Elizabeth Zeschin was raised in the wilds of northern Oregon. Educated in Boston and Chicago, she studied theatre before embarking upon her photographic career in New York City. She has made her home in the United Kingdom for over 25 years.

“Zeschin's work has been exhibited in numerous solo and group shows in New York and the United Kingdom. Her joint exhibition Flora and Porna was at The Arden and Anstruther Gallery, Petworth in 2007. From My Garden was also shown at Arden and Anstruther in 2009. She has received merit awards in The Association of Photographers Awards Show (London) and has had work exhibited at The Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London. She exhibited work in the 2018 AOP50 exhibition, Images that Defined the Age at Canary Wharf in London. Her salt and cyanotype prints were exhibited in 2019 at Parham House in West Sussex, following her residency. She has been in numerous group shows at The Chelsea Arts Club in London. Her solo show there Endangered Species was in 2022. Zeschin's work was selected for exhibition in the Royal Photographic Society IPE164 in 2023 in Bristol and then touring throughout the UK. Most recently Pangolin, Manis Triuspis, from her Endandered Species series has been selected by the Royal Photographic Society for inclusion in an exhibition of just 47 images at The National Trust’s Henry Fox Talbot Museum at Lacock from June 2024 to April 2025. This will be the first time that we exhibit Elizabeth Zeschin’s photography. Not only are the images stunning and carefully thought out, but the process of creating the prints using the box camera and salt paper printing is rare these days.”

The Arundel Gallery Trail, part of the Arundel Festival, runs from August 17-26, 12-5 daily, an artists’ and makers’ open houses event. A free trail guide and map are available from outlets in the town.