I’ve been enjoying playing with cyanotypes over the last few days. The paper was in a Sigur Ros box-set to promote their new live album ‘Inni’ that I was given for Christmas. Once the photos have been made you can upload them to their website and then fans vote on the best ones.
Initially I wanted to place the light-sensitive paper on the computer screen showing my video stills… of course this didn’t work, which was a shame. So I opted to follow the usual technique of placing objects over the paper in sunlight. I nicked some ideas from the artists who showed at the V&A “Shadow Catchers” exhibition which has just closed…
Firstly I placed some palm leaves on the paper, I liked the pattern of lines… then it occured to me that I could make a pattern on glass and place the glass on the paper. With very few materials in my small, makeshift studio I raided the kitchen: flour and olive oil. I literally used it as I do paint and created a drippy type surface – the results are spookily similar to my paintings.
I’m now thinking that I’m onto something exciting here… plus the kids would love to be involved too – just like magic.
If nobody votes for my images on the Sigur Ros site at least I’ve been inspired.
