Summer 11 Cyanotype Project

Artist Statement

            The first photographers were truly scientific explorers and fortunately, they documented their experiences. They were both chemists and artists.  They created ways of fixing an image on paper which then led to numerous things that many take for granted today.  Because of these early pioneers we have photographic images everywhere and come into contact with some form of photo every day.  

            For this series of images I chose to use one of the earliest photographic processes; the cyanotype.  This process calls for precision mixing of specialized chemicals and then using the mixture to coat the paper.  Once coated and dried the paper is then ultraviolet light sensitive and ready to be used.  During exposure a chemical reaction takes place and the chemicals go through an oxidation process.  The paper is then developed in running water to rid the image of any un-oxidized compounds. This leaves the image on the paper. 

            The cyanotype process appealed to me because of my chemistry background.  Chemistry has held a special interest for me since earliest education when it was introduced.  Everything runs on chemistry, especially biological things.  Chemical interactions and processes define life and I am interested in how these things work.  I tend to appreciate the detailed work of mixing chemicals to make new compounds.  With photography I can then take what I made and apply it to paper to create something beautiful.  Because the cyanotype is a contact printing process it is easy to create striking, one of a kind images.

            This project is an installation piece.  Cyanotypes of organic materials are combined with dried organic materials in a rustic window.  Each element contributes to the overall texture of the piece and adds dimension.  This piece is my personal creative expression.  Even though my life includes school, work and social interaction in a variety of settings some of the most enjoyable parts of my day are spent outside on a pleasant day.  Plant life with its color, form, and texture is incredibly diverse and has always held a good deal of my interest.

            The materials that I chose to use for my images, being organic materials, reflects the choice of the early pioneers of photography who were also scientist studying the various flora of their area.  I chose plants of many different species to combine, thus creating new blends that would not naturally occur.  I mixed wild ferns with spices; trees with grains; flowers with garden vegetables and weeds with cultivated species.  I wanted each of these combinations to evoke a sense of wonder and curiosity to the natural world around us.  I wanted this to be not only documentation but also a window into another world of botanical possibilities. Even if viewers do not recognize any of the species or combinations or process they can still appreciate the visualization of the beauty of the natural world. 

Both science and art in combination yield very interesting and sometimes surprising outcomes.  The first photographers had to have a wide range of knowledge and appreciation of chemicals and how light works. With an admiration of photographic processes of the early 19^th Century, I would like to share the cyanotype images displayed here with a 21^st Century audience.