Dome No. 22611, Sala de las Dos Hermanas, Alhambra, Granada, Spain1997
In 1993 Stephenson was awarded an
Australia Council studio residency in Besozzo, Italy. During his time in Italy, Stephenson began photographing the interiors of cathedral domes, a project that would preoccupy him for many years to come. While the project originally focussed on Italian domes, it soon progressed to include other European examples. The resultant series of over 200 photographs comprises a typology of ecclesiastical domes spanning the history of European architecture. Together the works illustrate how the universal shape of the dome has for centuries transcended cultural and religious boundaries.
With each photograph in the series, Stephenson positioned his camera directly below the dome. This point of view serves to flatten and abstract the depicted architectural space, focusing on its formal, geometric qualities. Additionally, Stephenson used extended exposures to create these photographs, meaning that the camera’s shutter was open for long periods of time. Consequently, the bright, vivid colours and details of the sacred geometry that are not normally visible were photographically revealed.
(2017)
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.
