Two of my cyanotype works from the series Mandalas for the Blues are included in the exhibition Out of the Blue at ACCI Gallery.
Together is all kinds of magic
Mandala 278 (together)
The exhibition is on view from September 1 through 25, 2022, with an opening reception on Saturday, September 3, from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. and a closing reception on Saturday, September 24, World Cyanotype Day.
ACCI Gallery is located at 1652 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA, and can be reached by phone at 510-843-2527. Gallery hours are 11:00 - 6:00 Monday through Saturday and 12:00 - 5:00 Sunday.
The cyanotype, also known as a blueprint, is an early camera-less photographic printing process invented 180 years ago in 1842. The name cyanotype was derived from the Greek name cyan, meaning "dark-blue impression."
The earliest practitioner of the cyanotype process was Anna Atkins in 1843, producing Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions, the first book to be fully illustrated with photographs. A relatively simple process, the cyanotype requires merely sensitized paper, sunlight, and water to create remarkable photographic images. In recent years we have seen a renewed appreciation of the blueprint process and other antiquated photographic formats.
Arts & Crafts Cooperative, Inc. invited artists to experiment with cyanotypes to create something "Out of the Blue." In homage to Anna Atkins, the challenge here was to use the 19th century historical blueprint process (incorporating nature and the environment) and alter the practice with a mix of media, combining and layering alternative materials and textiles, resulting in a contemporary vision.
World Cyanotype Day is Saturday September 24, 2022. Every year on the last Saturday of September, photographers and artists worldwide gather to connect, create, and celebrate this antiquarian photographic process.