What It Means To Walk On Air - Limited Edition of 1 Photograph

Title | WHAT IT MEANS TO WALK ON AIR Type | Original Map folded cyanotype with 24-carat gold Inspiration | Cecilia Helena Payne-Gaposchkin Year | 2021 Materials | 3D Cyanotype, handmade paper, map folded origami, 24-carat gold leaf This is taken from the series "Women Who Unlocked The Universe" A Space Of One's Own: These powerful figures in time revolutionised our understanding of the universe and provided invaluable contributions to the field of astronomy, astrophysics and space travel. In pursuing their passions for the heavens, scouring the skies for stellar spectra, chasing comets and mapping the cosmos they ultimately unlocked the mysteries of the universe. Inspiration: This artwork was inspired by Cecilia Helena Payne-Gaposchkin, a pioneering astrophysicist and probably the most eminent women astronomers of all time. Payne’s discovery deriving true cosmic abundance of elements from stellar spectra profoundly changed what we know about the universe, and her work began a revolution in astrophysics. Technique: What It Means To Walk On Air was created by constructing a hand-cut collage using female photographic portraiture, photographs of spiral staircases, metranomes and telescopes with photograms from antique glass slides of interstellar clouds and star spectra with hand-printed surface textures from chemigrams. After coating the handmade origami map folded paper with light-sensitive chemistry, it is left to dry in a dark room. The large scale negative is then contact printed onto the paper by exposing to daylight (UV rays). The print is then processed by thoroughly washing in water to remove any unexposed solution. It can then be hung to dry, developing to full density Prussian blue after 24 hours and then hand finished with 24-carat gold leaf. Once dried it is once again map folded into a 3D landscaped sculpture and framed. Paper
: Handmade recycled cotton rag paper: 
320gsm / 100% Cotton Rag / Recycled / Acid Free / Medium Rough Mount:
 We use float mounting for all of our framed cyanotypes. The artwork floats above a snow-white 8001 mount board, to showcase the paper texture and deckled edging.​​​ Framing
: Framed artwork will arrive ready to hang. Each frame is handmade by our London based design team. All frames come with gallery spec, 3mm thick Artglass AR70 / 3mm anti-reflective/ 79% UV protected glazing as standard. I want to visually tell a story with each piece to celebrate the lives of these amazing women using portraiture, symbolism and surrealism. I expose all my pieces in natural light for up to a couple of weeks. Printing in all weather conditions, doing everything by eye and in the most organic way possible, this enables me to be at one with each piece I create.