What is a Cyanotype?A cyanotype is another type of early photography, consisting of a piece of paper with a mixture of potassium ferricyanide and ferric ammonium citrate painted onto it. To use it you simply place objects on the paper in a dark room and then take it outside to expose in natural light for about 20 minutes (may need more of less depending on the light level). Unlike some of the other early photographic methods to you do not need to use any of the developing chemicals to develop a cyanotype, instead you simply wash it under cold running water. This washes away the water-soluble part of the solution leaving the blue pigment in the paper. A Brief History of CyanotypeThe Cyanotype method was created in 1842 by the astronomer John Hershel. He originated the method as a way of copying his notes however despite this, the Cyanotype would go on to have many different applications including making blueprints and relief-like photographs of objects. The peak of cyanotype usage was during the Victorian era in England however as the century progressed and photographic methods advanced, it’s usage fizzled out. In modern times the cyanotype has slowly come back, being picked up by many contemporary photographers and artists. Historical PhotographersAnna AtkinsAnna Atkins (1799-1871) was a cyanotype photographer, known for her cyanotypes of flora. She is considering to be one of the first female photographers and the first to illustrate a book with photographic images. Atkins had a few major influences in her life that contributed to her interest in plants and photography. Most notable being her father John George Children (a renown chemist, mineralogist and zoologist) and Henry Fox Talbot, a friend of her father’s that taught her about his photographic inventions. Analysis of WorkThis is a cyanotype by Anna Atkins. It is called Dictyota Dichotoma (Forkweed) and is dated 1849-1850. It is perhaps one of Atkins more renown pieces and is currently on display at the New York Public Library. As you can see it is a cyanotype relief of Forkweed Atkins published in her book Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions. This image would’ve been very useful for both the public and the scientific community for identifying such plants as this was the first detailed photograph the likes of which had not been seen before. As for why Atkins might’ve chosen to create this image well, with her scientific background I think it would be safe to assume she did it to document botanical specimens for future reference for whom ever should need it. Henry BosseAnother historical photographer who used cyanotypes would be the German-American photographer, Henry Bosse (1844-1903). Known for his landscape cyanotypes which he created using large glass plates and sheets of french cyanotype measuring around 14” x 17”. Most of his photos are of engineering project along the upper Mississippi river. Contemporary PhotographersAngela ChalmersAngela Chalmers is an English photographer and artist who uses a combination of water based media such as cyanotypes and watercolours throughout her work. Most of her work explores themes of femininity and objects traditionally associated with it such as wedding dresses and christening gowns. When asked why she says she likes to explore “narratives and a sense of history through her work” hence the why she merges old, less-commonly used methods such as cyanotypes with the more commonly used watercolours. Analysis of workThis is a piece by Angela Chalmers called “Something About Mary”. It is a dress ( or a textile sculpture as Chalmers describes it) covered in cyanotypes of flowers, plants, birds and the image of a woman which may have been representative of a Miss Mary Craven. Chalmers created this dress in 2015 for the St Martin’s church in Scarborough after she fell in love with the stories of the church’s founder Mary Craven (1814-1889) and the Pre-Raphaelite artists that were responsible for the interior design of the church. It is for this reason I believe Chalmers decided to make the design out of cyanotypes as that sharp blue and white contrast is very reminiscent Victorian art, particularly the arts and crafts movement. As the long branches and flower pattern on the dress itself look at bit like something you might expect from a William Morris wallpaper of that time. Though with that being said the choice to include flowers could’ve been more of a conscious one as there is a story Mary Craven was once caught stealing flowers from the church grounds. I’m not entirely sure how significant (or reliable) that story is in the grander scope of things but nonetheless it is an interesting anecdote for Chalmers to reference in her piece. Some of the photos Chalmers has taken of the dress have an almost ghostly presents about them, having been taken from the back and framed it such a way that it looks like someone is actually wearing the dress. Perhaps Chalmers meant for it to seem like the ghost of Mary Craven inhabits the dress. Photographing it in such a way it looks like someone is praying at the church’s alter, something which I imagine Craven did a lot being the primary investor of said church. Barbara HazenBarbara Hazen is an Californian photographer who works primarily in cyanotypes and platinum palladium (a type of printing) processes. Her work explores themes of memory and family in an almost scrapbook like fashion. Many of her photos have been featured in publications such as B&W Magazine and Critical Mass. Hazen has also had a number of solo and group exhibitions. Video of my tutor explaining cyanotypes. This helped me to refresh my mind and remember anything I had forgotten from the initial lesson. My CyanotypesThis is the cyanotype I made. It is a layed piece made placing a bike cassette ontop of some lace and then exposing it for about half an hour. I choose these items as I thought they seemed quite steampunk together and I love me a bit of modern vintage. Im quite pleased with the end result, though I must admit I'd had preferred it if the lace and gear came up a bit sharper. I suppose that's probably a byproduct of placing the gear on the lace which could've easily blown in the wind and disrupted the exposure. However with that being said I do like my little cyanotype, especially the bit of lace under the gear as it's come up rather well. This is probably down to the fact that the gear itself was holding that part of the lace in place throughout the exposure. After making my first cyanotype I decided to make a second, this time using items I had at home. For this one I decided use: two necklaces with a lace texture I layered on top of each other, a perfume bottle which I hoped would give an interesting impression with how the light would behave with the liquid and glass. And finally a pair of steampunk-esque goggles I have. I then exposed the entire thing for probably about 5 hours of actual sun light; I didn’t really intent to leave it that long. Initially I was only going to leave it for about an hour or two since it was such a cloudy day, but I just kind of forgot. In the end, it probably is a tad over exposed but all in all I think it turned out alright. I’m particularly happy with the sharp edges of the necklaces and the ghostly imprint of the perfume bottle. Admittedly I would’ve liked there to be more detail on the goggles since the lenses themselves are such a weird shape. But I suppose that is the problem with cyanotypes, in that they capture the shape but not necessarily the texture of an object. Something I did consider but figured would be alright since light can pass through the lenses of the goggles. But regardless I still kind of like it. One thing I did notice after the fact was that my second cyanotype is in fact a light blue in the areas where it should in fact be white. This is probably a result of not washing all of the chemical out which in turn causes the paper to change to a light blue as there was still pigment in the "white" areas. Next time I should probably wash the cyanotype for longer to ensure all the chemical has dissolved. Future UseI might use cyanotypes in the future as I quite enjoyed the process and I also rather liked the end result with blue and white. Though it seems unlikely I will use this technique in the future I could (if I so choose), use it as a means of collecting 2D relives which I could then incorporate into my illustration work either digitally or analogue-ly. Health and Safety
The two chemicals used in the cyanotype process are ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide. Though neither pose a risk, some people have been reported to have allergic reactions. T'is for this reason it is advised to wear gloves when handling the chemicals just in case. It is also a good idea to wear a mask if you use the powder solutions to make up your cyanotypes. Though very unlikely it is possible to create hydrogen cyanide gas when potassium ferricyanide is heated to above 149˚C or combined with an acid. As this is a poisonous gas it is heavily advised not to heat or add an acid to potassium ferricyanide. Reference Links
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanotype
https://arthistoryproject.com/artists/anna-atkins/dictyota-dichotoma-forkweed/
https://americanart.si.edu/artist/henry-bosse-6667 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Peter_Bosse
https://www.axisweb.org/p/angelachalmers/ https://www.friendsofstmartins.co.uk/artist-in-residence/
https://barbarahazen.com
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