CYANOTYPE
FEBRUARY 2020
SEEN FIFTEEN
Extending the processes employed in the work of the exhibition F O R M, we invited LAPC co-founder, Hannah Fletcher, to lead a cyanotype workshop at Seen Fifteen, exploring alternative forms of photography.
The cyanotype process is one of the oldest photographic processes, first introduced by Sir John Herschel (1792 – 1871) in 1842, which produces images through exposure to the sun or uv light. Objects or materials are placed on paper which has been treated with cyanotype solution, after which they are exposed to sunlight and then washed in water, resulting in a white image on a deep Prussian blue background.
Hannah Fletcher’s work is rooted in the challenge of intertwining the organic into the photographic medium. She does this while simultaneously exploring environmentally and ecologically-focused issues.
Participants were introduced to the chemistry behind the process and had the opportunity to coat their own paper with the solution. Apart from using objects for the exposures, Hannah introduced participants to a folding technique where the flat paper is turned into a 3D form which in itself creates shadows and moulds the light the print is being exposed to. Another method included melting wax on top of the coated paper blocking the light from exposing those areas of the coated paper.
The cyanotype process is one of the oldest photographic processes, first introduced by Sir John Herschel (1792 – 1871) in 1842, which produces images through exposure to the sun or uv light. Objects or materials are placed on paper which has been treated with cyanotype solution, after which they are exposed to sunlight and then washed in water, resulting in a white image on a deep Prussian blue background.
Hannah Fletcher’s work is rooted in the challenge of intertwining the organic into the photographic medium. She does this while simultaneously exploring environmentally and ecologically-focused issues.
Participants were introduced to the chemistry behind the process and had the opportunity to coat their own paper with the solution. Apart from using objects for the exposures, Hannah introduced participants to a folding technique where the flat paper is turned into a 3D form which in itself creates shadows and moulds the light the print is being exposed to. Another method included melting wax on top of the coated paper blocking the light from exposing those areas of the coated paper.
