The Tsar’s Photographer
Prokudin-Gorsky
(1863-1944)
Prokudin-Gorsky is again, as a result of the digital technology,
present as a precursor to the RGB technique (the primary colors
red, green and blue are mixed to create all other colors).
More than 100 years ago, he used a camera that took
three pictures in rapid succession. The first picture with a
red filter, the second green and the third blue.
The result was a glass negative that was copied to a slide,
which could be shown with a projector.
The basic understanding of how color photographs
are constructed fell into obscurity for several decades – until
George Eastman's Kodak became leading in the processing of color films.
With the digital image, we have regained insight of the
basic importance of the primary colors.
Prokudin-Gorsky was not only a technological pioneer, he was
also an excellent photographer, with the aim of documenting Tsarist
Russia and with the support of Tsar Nicholas II.
He reached to document 11 regions before the work was interrupted
by the revolution. Prokudin-Gorsky left Russia in 1918 and came via
Norway to Paris in 1922, where he died in 1944.
His unique images of Russia before the revolution were bought by L
ibrary of Congress Washington, DC.
The expo at STUDIO L2 has been made possible due to collaboration
with Håkan Holmberg and Crimson.
4 February - 25 February
Tuesday - Friday 12 – 17 Saturday 12 - 16