Cyanotype photograms

Cyanotype prints are made by painting paper, or fabric, with a chemical solution sensitive to UV light.  When the paper is dry, this can be exposed to sunlight and the areas exposed to sunlight turn blue whereas those protected from the light stay white.  If objects are placed upon the paper while in the sunlight, these objects are reproduced as a white image.  To develop the image requires only rinsing the paper in water.

I have made cyanotype prints using a variety of objects including pressed plants, cut shapes of tissue paper, cous cous, lentils, thread and so on.  All the marine algae were found washed up on Tasmania beaches.

The cyanotype process was first described in 1842 by Sir John Herschel, an English scientist.  He also coined the word ‘photography’.  Soon afterwards, English botanist and artist Anna Atkins, began making cyanotypes of pressed plants, including marine algae, and she published several books of hand-made prints.  These were probably the first photographically illustrated books.  Later, the cyanotype process was used commercially to reproduce plans and technical drawings, which were called ‘blueprints’.

Above:  Ocean 2.  2020.  Cyanotype photogram.  69 x 200 cm.  SOLD.

Above:  Sky, 2020.  Cyanotype photogram.  69 x 200 cm.  SOLD.

Above left: Marine brown algae x 12.  Cyanotype photograms.  Overall size approx 75 x 28cm.  SOLD.  

Right: Three marine algae.  Cyanotype photograms.  Overall size 40 x 60cm.  SOLD.

These and the following images of marine algae were made using algae found washed up on Tasmanian beaches, dried and pressed.

Above left:  Csytophora platylobium.  Centre:  Cystophora brownii & Sargassum paradoxum.  Right: Caulocystis uvifera & Cystophora subfarcinata.  All 2022, cyanotype photograms, each approx 40 x 40cm.

Above left:  Cystophora (SOLD).  Centre top: Xiphophora (SOLD).  Centre bottom: Cystophora 2.  Right: Cystophora 3.

Giant kelp blue collage, 2022.  Collage of cyanotype photograms.