Out and About: Brilliant Colors Emerge from the Darkroom at North Canaan’s Yo Studio
By Andra Moss
François Dischinger creates photo-related pieces sans camera.
Photography fans will be excited to learn that Yo Studio, 91 Main St. in North Canaan, is primarily dedicated to exhibitions of photo-related work. Gallery owner and professional photographer François Dischinger, who began leasing the space last February, says he wants “to keep it very pure, photo oriented, analog oriented.”
Dischinger, born in South Africa, raised in Canada and formerly based in New York City, recalls that “About five years ago, I was drawn back into the darkroom.” He became fascinated by effects such as light leaks, noting that although “they pop up in a print as a mistake, it started to challenge me and led me into this whole world of experimentation.”
Having spent nearly 20 years off and on in the West Cornwall/Sharon area, Dischinger and his wife made the move to full-time residents about a year ago, and he scooped up the gallery space shortly thereafter.
Dischinger assembled his first show last fall. “It was ‘François and Friends,’ a collection of photographers, painters, sculptors and others I know,” he says. “It was pretty successful.” Next came an exhibition of black and white photography by Lime Rock vintage motor racing enthusiast (and master printer) Marc Andrew Elliott.
Currently, the space is devoted to Dischinger’s own works. These are not conventional photographs. The pieces—many are large-scale works—are, he explains,
“all done in the dark. No camera was involved in this current show; everything was created in a dark room.”
He describes his process as involving only traditional photographic dark room materials: light-sensitive paper, enlargers, filters, screens. Some basic chemistry and vibration also come into play. “I put the paper on a frame and move it under the enlarger,” he says. “I’m physically touching the surface, affecting the surface of the paper.”
The resulting compositions (“chromogenic darkroom work”) are vibrant, color- and motion-filled pieces fused into artist-made aluminum frames.
Dischinger says he is “imagining three more exhibits this year.” Meanwhile, the gallery is open by appointment or chance until the spring. Those who miss him in the gallery are encouraged to visit Dischinger’s website at yostudioct.com to view selections of his work or to join the mailing list.
