Still Beyond Photograph

Unique hand printed cyanotype on 300 gsm platinum rag paper with gold ink detail. Presented in a conservation quality mount ready for framing. Mounted size is 13 x 13 inches. Cyanotype is a camera less photographic technique which results in a 'blueprint'. I have printed a negative from a collage which I have placed onto the paper that I have hand coated in the cyanotype emulsion. It is then exposed to ultraviolet light (typically sunlight) for a few mintues or sometimes hours depending on the strength of the sun. Washing it in water fixes the image which is left to dry for 24 hours before the gold ink is added. The inspiration for this work came from the shocking fact that the natural world is on the brink of destruction due to humankind's activities. Whilst we love to have images of nature on our interior decor we are simultaneously destroying nature with pollution and agricultural practices. The gold detail is a reference to the Japanese art of Kintsugi of repairing broken ceramics with gold paste and embracing the imperfection. This work is is therefore one of hope - that we can restore nature by being more mindful.