Cyanotype Crypt Doors

I used an old printing process from the mid 1800's to capture these crypt doors in Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri. I love hand... more

by Jane Linders

Title

Cyanotype Crypt Doors

Artist

Jane Linders

Medium

Photograph - Photogrpahy

Description

I used an old printing process from the mid 1800's to capture these crypt doors in Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri. I love hand coating my own watercolor paper and using nothing more than salts and the sun to transform the paper into a one of a kind image.

Cyanotypes, also called sun prints, are one of the oldest photographic printing processes dating back to 1842. Sir John Herschel developed this first silver less photographic process using only 2 chemicals and the sun as a light source. These sun prints are decidedly low tech as the final image of a cyanotype appears only with the aid of sunlight as a light source and water for a developer. This inexpensive, simple and permanent process was used for the blue print process for copying architectural plans, hence the name “Blue print.” The very first book of printed text and photographs by Anna Atkin used the Cyanotype process. My attraction to the Cyanotype process is the physical involvement during the printing process, allowing me to use my hands, eyes, and intuition when printing. I like the way the light, time, salts, and myself combine together to slowly deposit them on beautifully handcrafted paper. The depth of the tactile experience and the imposed slowness reveals moods and nuances in my images that I wouldn't normally see.

Uploaded

November 24th, 2014