Cyanotypes

Exhibition:  Visiting with Memory    

Artist:  Lindsay Bond

Overview

As a photo-media artist, Lindsay Bond uses photography in her works to create collaborative installations within natural ecosystems.  In the specific works of Visiting with Memory, Lindsay speaks about the importance of three natural ecosystem elements; stones as ancient knowledge keepers, the river as the origin of life and light, which is used to create her photographs and interact with her photo-sculptures.

Light is an important part of the photography printing process.  Prior to the invention of gelatine silver printing, light was used to create and record images through a technique called sun printing.  If you place an object on a special sheet of paper, expose it to sunlight and then remove the objects, the paper permanently records the object’s placement — a silhouette remains captured on the paper.  An English photographer and botanist Anna Atkins (1799-1871), was the first person to use the cyanotype process in a long-term scientific study of the natural world.

In this lesson, participants will use the process of sun printing to create their own experience collaborating with the natural world using elements such as stones, water and light.  Students will investigate how light interacts with an object, while also discovering one way that we can interact with and capture nature with care—preserving and leaving it undisturbed.  

Objectives

• Learn a traditional low-tech photography process

• Explore optics; the study of the behaviour of light while interacting with matter

• Understand the differences between opaque and transparent objects

• Express curiosities through exploration of materials found in their natural environment

Materials

• Tub of water (large enough to immerse papers in)

• Sun print paper 5 x 7, approx, 2 sheets per student (can be ordered online)

• Pieces of acetate or transparency cut to 5 x 7 (note: sun-print paper packages come with one piece of acrylic panel, but you will want a few extra pieces so multiple participants can expose simultaneously)

• Found natural objects; rocks, grass, plants, flowers, leaves

• Found semi-transparent and clear objects to explore light refraction ie. marbles, glass stones or beads, clear recycled plastic bits

• Sunny day

Instructions:

Step One

This activity is best done on a sunny day with clear skies for optimal light and no wind so paper and light objects can remain still for the duration of exposure.  It is recommended that the instructor demonstrates the process before the participants begin so that they gain an understanding of the process.  This will help participants to use more critical thinking when choosing the objects that they want to explore.  Read the instructions on the package of the sun print paper before beginning and include a variety of objects for the demonstration — items of different textures, opacity and detail.  While we are mainly using natural materials found outside, in order to further explore light refraction, provide a small collection of more transparent items for participants to experiment with ie. marbles, small glass objects, small container holding water, recycled clear plastic bits.

Before heading outside, emphasize the importance of how the participants are interacting with the natural world.  It is best practice to collect items found on the ground and to not pick living leaves or plants that are still attached to stems and branches.  Once participants are finished with natural objects, they can be placed back where they were found.  

Step Two

Find a location outside for participants to explore.  Set up an exposing station with sun-print paper, semi- transparent objects, clear panels and tub of water.  Once participants have collected their materials they can return to the exposure station.

Step Three

Decide which objects to use first, set the remaining aside to use with the next sheet of paper.  Place paper down with acrylic/transparency panel on top.  Carefully arrange objects on top of panel. Remember that the sun-paper is very sensitive to light, block any direct light from reaching the paper while arranging objects. 

Step Four

Carefully place the arrangement in direct sunlight for 1-5 minutes.  (If it is a cloudy day you will have to leave it longer).  The areas exposed to sunlight will begin turning white.  

Step Five

Remove the sun-print paper from direct sunlight and quickly rinse in water for 1-5 minutes.  Allow the paper to dry fully.  It will continue to darken for several hours.  The paper might be a bit wrinkled once it is dried but you can flatten under a heavy book for a day to press it smooth.  

Step Six

After completing the first sun-print, participants can observe the results to make decisions about what objects they would like to further investigate for a second print.

Step Seven

When all sun-prints have been completed and dried, display them and discuss the results.  How did light capture the details and visual information about each object? How do transparent objects differ from more opaque objects?  When looking at transparent objects, we can discuss the visual distortions that occur due to light refraction. The transparent objects become a lens that light moves through, capturing a moment in time of an object— sometimes creating visual distortion if the object isn’t completely clear and smooth.  This is very similar to Lindsay’s photo-sculptures, as the plastic stones become the lens capturing the light that we view the photograph underneath with.  

Variations

Older participants can extend beyond a scientific exploration of the objects, using creativity to more selectively place the objects and create narrative compositions.