The artwork CHIMIGRAMS 26/8/77 VI belongs to Pierre Cordier's series of chemigrams, which he refers to as MINIMAL PHOTOGRAPHY. It is a unique piece created in 1977, and it is a chemigram produced on silver gelatin baryth paper.
Pierre Cordier, a Belgian artist, is credited as the creator of the chemigram, a photographic image made without the use of a camera. The chemigram is based on the reaction of photosensitive paper with developer and fixer, combining the physical properties of color (such as oil-varnish, wax, and oil) with the chemical processes used in photography (photosensitive layers, developer, and fixer). Cordier's chemigrams are created without a camera or an enlarger, using only natural daylight and influencing the photochemical reactions during the developing and fixing processes. He positions the chemigram between the realms of photography, painting, ceramics, and intaglio printmaking, utilizing chance and randomness as crucial elements in his creative process.
In 1956, Cordier created the first chemigram, and in 1963, he copyrighted the term. His innovative approach garnered recognition from influential figures in the field, such as Otto Steinert, who invited Cordier to visit Saarbrücken in 1958. Steinert acknowledged that the chemigrams represented a significant step in the development of artistic photography, praising Cordier's ability to create precise structures and colors that surpass those achievable by painters.
