Pelé

Pelé: Art Life Football is a captivating collection released in association with Halcyon Gallery, consisting of a series of photographic images of the legendary footballer, plus artistic interpretations by some of our most well-loved artists. Nic Joly, Keith Maiden and Stuart McAlpine Miller have all created Pelé-inspired artwork in their own inimitable styles, from a bold wall sculpture depicting the famous number 10 shirt to darker, more provocative pieces which capture the football icon’s journey from humble beginnings to global fame.

Alongside these, the collection also includes photographic pieces which highlight some of Pelé’s most iconic moments on the field – his trademark bicycle kick executed successfully against Belgium in 1968 and the famous save made by Gordon Banks in the 1970 England vs Brazil match.

Each limited edition artwork and photograph is hand-signed by Pelé himself.

Silver gelatin prints are the most usual way of making black and white prints from negatives. This method uses papers coated with a layer of gelatin which contains light sensitive silver salts (halides). Because the silver image is suspended in a gelatin emulsion that rests on a pigment-coated paper, silver gelatin prints are sharply defined and highly detailed in comparison to other forms of printing in which the image is absorbed directly into the fibres of the paper.

Silver gelatin prints are a favourite amongst photographers who love shooting in black and white. While black and white photos carry a distinct charm of their own, when printed on silver gelatin print paper, the entire appearance of these photographs is instantly enhanced as they have a smooth, even image surface. The hues and tones of the black are darker, the whites crisper and more natural and there is more subtlety in the greys. To further enhance this, some photographers add additional chemicals to the silver gelatin prints. This not only alters the tone of the image, but also makes the print more permanent and long-lasting.

The C-Type colour prints have at least three emulsion layers of light-sensitive silver salts. Each layer is sensitised to a different primary colour - either red, blue or green - and so records different information about the colour make-up of the image. During printing, chemicals are added which form dyes of the appropriate colour in the emulsion layers. This is the most common type of colour photograph. The silver gelatin and C-Type methods are still viewed by established photographers as superior to any other form of printing, including digital. The fragile nature of the process and high quality of the fine art prints make silver gelatin and C-Type prints more expensive than their contemporary counterparts.