Wild And Fearless II (Ode To Margaret Fountaine) - Limited Edition of 1 Photograph

Title | WILD AND FEARLESS II (ODE TO MARGARET FOUNTAINE) Type | Original 3-D Paper-cut Cyanotype Inspiration | Margaret Fountaine Year | 2022 Materials | Cyanotype, handmade paper, 3-D Paper-cut collage Inspiration- This artwork was inspired by Victorian lepidopterist Margaret Fountaine. Described as a natural-born hunter: whether it was love, adventure or butterflies, her pursuit was relentless and her energy legendary. She emerged from an unremarkable Victorian upbringing with an extraordinary drive to self determination which defined her entire life. Unconventional by nature, Fountaine was never cowed by society’s strictures, or by what was expected, this provided her with many exciting opportunities. The price of her freedom was high but she never regretted her choices. A passionate lover and fearless individualist, her life was founded on the idiosyncratic determination to pursue her own path irrespective of convention. This is taken from the series "Women Who Discovered The World" cyanotypes based on females in the field of natural history and science. Ones who particularly inspire me, deserve to be recognised and celebrated as powerful figures in time. Technique- Wild And Fearless II (Ode To Margaret Fountaine) was created by constructing a hand-cut collage using female photographic portraiture, a wig made of hydrangea flowers and photographs of preserved butterfly specimens. After coating the handmade paper with light-sensitive chemistry, they are left to dry in a dark room. The large scale negatives are then contact printed onto the paper pieces by exposing to daylight (UV rays). The prints are then processed by thoroughly washing in water to remove any unexposed solution. They can then be hung to dry, developing to full density Prussian blue after 24 hours. Once dried the individual butterflies and hydrangea flowers are cut out and mounted onto the print to create a multi-layered, 3-dimensional artwork. Paper - Handprinted on handmade recycled cotton rag paper and Arches watercolour paper: 320gsm / 100% Cotton Rag / Recycled / Acid Free / PH Neutral / Rough Mount - We use float mounting for all of our framed cyanotypes. The artwork floats above a snow-white mount board, showcasing the paper texture and deckled edging.​​​ Framing - Framed artwork will arrive ready to hang. Each frame is handmade by our London based design team. The wood grain frame achieves the highest quality finish. All frames come with gallery spec, 3mm thick anti-reflective/ UV 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.