Bio
Skip Dean – Creator of Roadworthy Images
My career began on the commercial side of the business,
dealing with lighting, composition & all the logistics of creating
images designed to sell products or services.
But over the past 15 years, my work has morphed from a job to
a passion. And with that change has come a new and different
style of photography for me.
I am now a seeker of images that speak to me in an organic
way. Street images that say ‘photograph’ me. My work is about
the organic confluence of physical elements that the artist’s
brain sees, captures and interprets to reveal an idea.
Shapes, lines, colors, light and the interplay of all of these
elements are the ingredients.
The results of this exploration are images that are, in my view,
are pure, simple and reflect the beauty & variety everyday
organic design.
Working in this way makes me feel connected to the world
around me, and capturing these types of images is one of my
principal sources of joy and artistic satisfaction.
I have become so interested in this work that I have even taken
a part time job (one day a week) with a friend who owns a
courier company as a driver to maximize my exposure to the
street and expose myself to more and more of these images.
These images are what I refer to as ‘roadworthy’ because they
are the direct result of my spending so much time driving and
walking the city streets in search of them.
About Me
For the past 9 years, I have taught digital photography at the
Ontario College of Art and Design University in Toronto,
Canada to 1st and 2nd year design students.
I am also teaching 2nd year Advertising students Digital
photography.
Though I am still available for commercial work...skipdean.com today.
Gallery
NEW and INTERESTING
CONTACT-Scotiabank Photography Festival 2020
March 12 - April 11, 2021
The Cardinal Gallery
1231 Davenport Road
Toronto, Ontario M6H 2H1
Artist in Residence Show
Dylan Ellis Gallery
'ongoing work'
1681 Dundas Street West
Toronto, Ontario. M6K 1V2
Saturday February 29 - Tuesday March 31 2020
Best in Show
GUM dichromate print from the series ‘Roadworthy’
Opening reception-September 17th 2019 from 6-9pm
September 3-26th 2019
Connection Gallery
1840 Danforth Ave.
Toronto, Ontario
CONTACT-Scotiabank Photography Festival 2019
Xpose 2019 CAPIC
Opening Reception Thursday May 23rd 2019 from 6-10pm
May 24th to Sunday June 2nd 2019
A Gum dichromate print from the series ‘Roadworthy’
The Papermill Gallery at Todmorden Mills Heritage Site
67 Pottery Road,
Toronto, Ontario. M4K 2B9
CONTACT-Scotiabank Photography Festival 2019
HOMAGE-
Opening Reception May 17 2019 at 6-9pm
May 16,2019-June 30 2019
GUM dichromate print from the series ‘Roadworthy’
Connections Gallery
1840 Danforth Avenue
Toronto, Canada
The Halide Project
Homage
GUM dichromate print from the series ‘Roadworthy’
March 1-17 2019
1627 N 2nd street
Philadelphia, USA
CONTACT-Scotiabank Photography Festival 2018
May 15-June 30 2018
Opening Reception May 17, 2018
Eight ‘GUM’ dichromate prints from the series ‘Roadworthy’
Connections Gallery
1840 Danforth Avenue
Toronto, Canada
CAPTURE-Photography Festival-2018
SERIES-A group Photography Exhibition
Eight ‘GUM’ dichromate prints
April 12-17 2018 at the Playground
434 Columbia Street,
Vancouver B.C.
CONTACT-Scotiabank Photography Festival-2017
‘The Great Hall’ at the Ontario College of Art and Design University.
Four images from ‘Roadway’ series...
100 McCaul Street
Toronto, Ontario
Dylan Ellis Gallery 2016-
‘Emergence’ December 1-31, 2016.
Four images from the series-‘Roadway’
1840 Danforth Ave
Toronto, Ontario
These images won the ‘People’s Choice ‘award voted by the
public as best in show, Sponsor Henry’s Camera
CONTACT Scotiabank Photography Festival -2016
Show held in ‘The Great Hall’ at Ontario College of Art and Design
University from group show ’Chalk Square’ from ‘Roadway’ series
May 11-31 2016
100 McCaul Street
Toronto, Ontario
Dylan Ellis Gallery-2016
Group shows images from ‘Roadway’ series Title ‘Chalk Square’
1840 Danforth Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
CONTACT Scotia Photography Festival 2016-
“The Great Hall’ at Ontario College of Art and Design University
Group show four images from ‘Creative Source’ series ‘Titles.’
100 McCaul Street
Toronto, Ontario
CAPIC-2014 Todmorden Gallery,
Title ‘Swimming Dog’’ size 20” x 24” color print.
Toronto, Ontario
Dean’s Office-Ontario College of Art and Design University-2014
Titles ‘Swimming Dog,
and ‘Hammer and Glove’ from the series “Found, but not Lost’
Dean’s Office- Dr. Sara Diamond President and Vice-Chancellor, ORD,
Ontario: RCA
51 McCaul Street
Toronto, Ontario
CAPIC Gallery shows over the years 1985-2013
Held in various locations in Toronto, such as Ontario Place
Toronto, Ontario
Description of Gum Printing
Gum printing is a way of making photographic reproductions without the use of
silver halides. The process uses salts of dichromate in common with a number of
other related processes such as sun printing.
When mixtures of mucilaginous, protein-containing materials together with
soluble salts of dichromate are exposed to ultraviolet light, the protein content
becomes tanned and resistant to solution in water. The untanned material can be
washed away in warm water leaving a hardened, tanned protein negative.
For gum printing a solution of gum Arabic is mixed with either potassium or
ammonium dichromate. The higher the proportion of dichromate, the more
sensitive the mixture. However, increasing the concentration of dichromate also
reduces the contrast, which is very low at best. The right concentration of
dichromate is always a compromise between speed and contrast.
Using ammonium dichromate allows concentrations up to 15% of the active
ingredient whereas potassium dichromate is limited to about 10%. Exceeding
these concentrations results in deposits of chromic acid in the dried film, which
ruins any attempts at printing. The greatest sensitivity expressed as an ASA
speed rating is estimated to be about ASA 0.003. The resulting mucilaginous
mixture is spread on a suitable base and allowed to dry in the dark. A contact
negative the same size of the finished print is then placed on top of the dried