Cyanotype Intensive (Section 1)

Type: Workshop
Program Area: Arts

Day/Time: Saturday, April 22 1:00 PM (120 minutes)

Location: Dark Room Workshop

"The difficulty of making accurate drawings of objects as
minute as many of the Algae and Confera, has induced me to avail
myself of Sir John Herschel's beautiful process of Cyanotype,
to obtain impressions of the plants themselves..."

When Anna Atkins created "Photographs of British Algae" in 1843 it
was the first photographic work by a woman and the first book
produced entirely by photographic means. Herschel's process continues
to be used by artists and teachers for its fidelity, simplicity,
flexibilty, archival properties, cost, and rich blue beauty.

Workshop participants will learn how to prepare and mix the two
liquid solutions, to coat paper, fabric, and metal, and to gauge
exposure times using only sunlight. Participants are encouraged
to bring a range of flat, translucent items; objects that cast
interesting shadows; photographic negatives (4" x 5" or larger) or
other transparencies (participants in the pinhole workshop will
have created just the thing).

Basic materials will be supplied, including coated papers and fabric,
a coating brush, bottled solutions to take home, and a handout.

This workshop is also being held on Sunday at 12:30 PM.

Presented by

Eric Theise
artist

Eric Theise works in film, photography, printmaking, and the book arts, often dragging techniques, kicking and screaming, from one media to another. His still and moving image work has been exhibited internationally, and, in 2005, he received one of Film Arts Foundation's Fund for Independent Cinema grants to make a 16mm pinhole film. He's been an artist-in-residence at the Fine Art Museums of San Francisco and Anchor Graphics (now part of Columbia College Chicago), and was an affiliate artist at the Headlands Center for the Arts. Theise holds a Ph.D from Northwestern University in Industrial Engineering/Management Science, and, "back in the day", he was a regular contributor to Wired, Matrix News, and Fringeware Review. At Howard Rheingold's invitation, he served as editor for the Internet section of the Millennium Whole Earth Review. In addition to teaching Design+Technology courses at the SF Art Institute, he teaches antiquated photographic techniques at the San Francisco Center for the Book and co-teaches a mapping class at the California College of the Arts.