Cyanotype
/ and other analog printing techniques
Context.
A cyanotype is a photographic print that comes from exposing a photosensitive mixture of potassium ferricyanide and ferric ammonium citrate, and yeilds a cyan blue coloured print.
This is where the word 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘵 comes from; architects would make their technical drawings on clear sheets and then use them as negatives to make cyanotype (blue) prints of their drawings and plans. This is essentially how the process was first developed, by John Herschel, astronomer, in 1842, who needed to make quick copies of his notes.
The first published cyanotype book was created and compiled by Anna Atkins, botanist, in 1843. It was a compilation of photograms of algae and ferns called 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘈𝘭𝘨æ: 𝘊𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘦 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.
FROM THE TIME I HAD AN EXHIBIT IN THE CHENNAI BIENNALE
It was an interesting experience, to say the least. Thirty two triple prints, three attempts from someone selling not-cotton as cotton, my desperate attempt to make cyano work on satin, coating and drying fabric two times longer and nine times as wide as myself, for it to fail over and over again.
Only for the piece to be 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯 from the Biennale site.
It sounds like I'm complaining, I know, I am, but in good humor. The experience made for too many good stories.
FROM THE TIME I HAD AN EXHIBIT AT RANGOLI, MG ROAD
In my final year of college, I was asked, kindly, by the teacher who had taught me cyanotype and analog photo development, to help with a class he was taking.
The outcome of this class was artistic expression of urban landscape through several different printing methods, combined. The Exhibition was in the Shivajinagar metro station in Bangalore, and it was a satisfying success.
We were working with/guiding an enthusiastic group of students, who understood the brief well, learned techniques quickly, and owned the project the best that they could.
FROM THE TIME I WAS A TEACHING ASSISTANT IN MY FINAL YEAR
In my final year of college, I was asked, kindly, by the teacher who had taught me cyanotype and analog photo development, to help with a class he was taking.
The outcome of this class was artistic expression of urban landscape through several different printing methods, combined. The Exhibition was in the Shivajinagar metro station in Bangalore, and it was a satisfying success.
We were working with/guiding an enthusiastic group of students, who understood the brief well, learned techniques quickly, and owned the project the best that they could.
