Experimentation: Cyanotypes and "Parchment"

My vision for what Atlas will look like continues to slowly, slowly become more focused.

I have finished a couple of pieces, but mostly I have been doing research and experimenting with materials and methods.

Cyanotype of lace doily on taupe paper

Different “tones”

Because this is a book, time and sequence are an element I am working with.

I hope to achieve the ability to change the “tone” going from page to page, so that the viewer will have a varied experience while going through the book.

I will do this by using color, materials, and variations in text font.

Cyanotypes in the Dead of Winter

Cyanotype is a type of camera-less photographic printing process. It involves painting a chemical on paper (or cloth, or even glass,) then placing something on that paper and exposing it to UV light, such as the sun. Whatever is exposed to the light will turn a gorgeous Prussian blue.

Cyanotype by Christine So

Often people will place flowers or other objects on the paper to create a simple, beautiful design.

Others will print photos on clear paper to create a haunting photographic image.

Lush Peonies by Claudia Hollister

Simple enough, yes?

No!

I tried my first experiments near the winter solstice when UV rays are at their weakest.

Furthermore, I tried it on a cloudy day.

Things didn’t go according to plan.

(However, I did manage to make this “mistake” into a solid finished piece. I leveraged its qualities by adding painted text and an ornate frame pattern.)

Practice makes... okay, not Perfect, but at least better!

I experimented a bunch with colored papers, and playing with the application of the chemical to create different effects.

Distressing Paper and Making "Parchment"

My vision for Atlas draws from the look and feel of old books, field notebooks, and timeworn documents. This is a popular aesthetic and there are about a billion YouTube videos on how to make materials look aged, a process called "distressing." Most of the tutorials are for making journals and scrapbooks- in other words, crafting.

When I was in art school, a "serious" artist using crafting techniques was anathema. Oh, the horror! The line between “craft” and “art” has long been debated, yet it remains a barrier that is classist and frankly gendered.

So it is not without trepidation that I allow myself to be inspired and taught by the many very talented crafters out there, who so generously share their skills.

Coffee baths, wrinkling, ironing, treating with glue, roughing with a serrated knife, inkpads, so many techniques to explore.

"Parchment"

In this project I am actively exploring the concepts of belief and faith. To me, nothing says religious orthodoxy like a medieval manuscript. So I began searching for a way to make paper that would look to me like old parchment.

Real parchment is made from animal skin.

I learned that in England, there is one parchment producer using the traditional techniques and tools - very cool video of it HERE.

Parchment was laborious and expensive and was largely replaced by paper about 1500.

My parchment is rice paper, treated with a combination of arcylic medium, water, and instant coffee.

I then glue it to another distressed piece of paper, but only around the edges.

I have been experimenting with different pens and paint to see how they reacts to this unusual surface.

Working in Concert

As I said, I am aiming to have different styles and moods interweave throughout Atlas. My concern is that all these styles hang together, while also varying widely.

I have been not only playing with styles and materials, but the order in which they will be placed in the pages. I am doing this by using a lot of tape! Nothing is cast in stone (or glue) yet.

Below is a 2 minute video of me flipping through what I have done so far. Some of the images are well developed, and some are merely sketches.

Remember, there is a lot of tape involved!