The Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris Acquires work by Alison Rossiter

Alison Rossiter's "Gevaert Gevaluxe Velours, exact expiration date unknown, ca. 1930s, processed 2020 (#3)" (2020) has been acquired by the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris in Paris, France. 

 

Alison Rossiter's “Gevaert Gevaluxe Velours” series celebrates the incredible history and singularity of the premier gelatin silver photographic paper of the same name. Widely regarded as the pinnacle of silver gelatin paper production in the 20th century, Gevaluxe Velours was manufactured by Gevaert Photo-Producten in Antwerp between the 1930s and 1950s, and became renowned as "the most beautiful paper ever made” by professional photographers and conservators alike.

 

Rossiter’s connection to Gevaert Gevaluxe Velours extends beyond her artistic exploration: her series dedicated to and made with these historic papers also involves the fascinating story of Joseph Cayet (1907-1987). Cayet was a Belgian portrait photographer who once owned a large roll of the extremely rare Gevaert Gevaluxe paper. During his life, he entrusted the roll to another Belgian artist Pierre Cordier, who, in a generous gesture, shared half of it with Rossiter. Utilizing this gift, Rossiter processed this unique paper to uncover latent imagery that had formed over nearly ninety years. Three of the resulting prints, which were showcased in Rossiter’s "Substance of Density 1918-1948" exhibition at Yossi Milo in 2020, showcase dark tonal striations and gradations—a testament to the paper's lifespan from the late 1930s to the present day.