There was a short workshop on 'cyanotypes' as part of the Arts Trail. I was keen to learn about them so I signed up and had some fun. It was led by Jenny Wren (Jenny Dalby), a local artist who describes herself as 'indie artist, creator, dreamer'. Indeed, cyanotypes do have a certain dreamlike quality to them.
They are a photography method dating back to the mid 19th century, and use UV rays to produce images on light sensitive paper. They were used at one time as a process to produce engineering drawings (blueprints). Cyanotypes were pioneered as a photographic recording medium by Anna Atkins, a botanist, in the late 1800s, to produce images of algae, ferns and other plants. She is considered by some to be the first female photographer.
Jenny showed us how to use photographic negatives and items such as dried botanical specimens, feathers and lace to produce mixed media prints, which we then decorated with gold paint and copper leaf. I need to develop my creative eye for these, observing what works and what doesn't - but as a first attempt, created quite quickly, I was pleased with my image.
Nowadays we read engineering drawings (in a nuclear powers station) en masse in highest quality with never a thought as to how they came to be.
ReplyDeleteI've long thought that Anna Atkins' cyanotypes of ferns are some of the most beautiful, luminous photos ever produced.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like interesting techniques, she sounds clever, I hope you share more of your artwork.
ReplyDeleteI was familiar with the concept, but not the name itself.
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