Karl P. Koenig (1938-2012)

Karl P. Koenig (1938-2012), the inventor of the gumoil process and his work. He has sadly passed away.
From: New Mexico, USA.
Shows: Gumoils.

After leaving the University of New Mexico and a career in clinical psychology, teaching, research and practice, Karl P. Koenig committed to printmaking. He explored lithography, serigraphy, and the full range of alternative photographic processes from gum printing, to cyanotype, platinum, and carbon.

Finally he settled on gravure and gumoil, but was also drawn to copper plate etchings. Karl has published and sold his work widely. He lived in the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.

Karl was the inventor of the Gumoil photographic process, which he created in 1990.
Karl said about Gumoils:

“I was dissatisfied with conventional photographic printmaking and began looking for more interpretive processes in the 1980s. In fact, I invented one to meet my needs, which I call gumoil. I use the gumoil and gravure processes because both facilitate a greater range of emotional expression than straight photography can.
Gumoil and gravure are both positive-to-positive processes. I work from film or digital images and make the large transparent positives via Photoshop. The final image is printed on a heavy, high quality watercolor paper. The gravure plate is inked up and run by hand through an etching press in a limited edition.”

Karl sadly passed away in 2012 after illness.

Photographer is also featured in:

Alternative Photography: Art and Artists, Edition I