Sebastian CRUPI
Espresso theatre
Sebastian CRUPI
Kew High School
VCE Studio Arts 3 & 4
Artist statement: Routines govern human activity, some can be subtle, some apparent, and some are unquestioned. 'Espresso theatre' explores the subtle coffee routine that goes unquestioned for many. Using the unique form of coffee pots as subject matter, I appropriated Olive Cotton's ‘Tea cup ballet’ (1935) to create a work that is familiar yet prompts my viewer to question their own routines. Using a digital camera, artificial lighting, and editing software, I was able to enhance my images to illuminate the beauty within the structure of the coffee routine. By presenting part of my artwork on a rotating cylinder, I am inviting my viewer to consider the cyclic nature of routine itself.
Chromogenic prints are printed on paper that has at least three emulsion layers containing invisible dyes and silver salts. Each emulsion layer is sensitive to a different primary colour of light (red, green or blue). The development process converts the hidden dyes to visible colour depending on the amount of light it was exposed to. This type of paper is commonly used to print from colour negatives or digital files to produce a full-colour image. It can also be used to print black-and-white images, giving softer grain and less contrast than gelatin silver prints. Commonly known as c-type prints, chromogenic processing was developed in the 1940s and widely used for colour printing, including for domestic snapshots. While recent years have seen this process accompanied by ink-jet and digital printing technologies, chromogenic printing still remains in use to this day.
