The Art of Solvent Transfer

During his years working in the medium, Cameron Kaseberg became known for taking the solvent transfer process of image making in directions no other artist at the time had thought of. He developed the once obscure process, brought to prominence in the 1950s by Robert Rauschenberg, to new levels of expressiveness. In Northwest regional exhibits and at national art fairs, Kaseberg's works were received with enthusiasm for their inventiveness and as expressions of human sensibilities.

The solvent transfer process involves "borrowing" subject matter from various printed media as well as his own photos and graphics, chemically dissolving them and transferring the image onto a new surface. Much as a photographer can manipulate the camera image in many ways, the solvent transfer can be changed, arranged, composed and continually altered to express the artist's aims. Additional treatment with drawing or painting techniques may contribute to the uniqueness of each of Kaseberg's works. Although called transfer prints, each is one-of-a-kind.

What Kaseberg expresses in his work is based on his background of having been raised on a ranch in Eastern Oregon, having been educated in excellent schools and having lived long enough to reflect on life through his art work in ways that seem to appeal to the many who collect his work.