Gigartina plicata c. 1843 - 1853

Curator: Here we have "Gigartina plicata," a cyanotype created by Anna Atkins sometime between 1843 and 1853. Editor: My goodness, it looks like frost on a windowpane. These ghostly white seaweeds adrift on that deep blue—it’s almost unsettling. Curator: The cyanotype process itself is fascinating. Atkins placed dried seaweed directly onto cyanotype paper and exposed it to sunlight, creating a photogram. It’s photography without a camera! And importantly, this artwork belongs to what is considered the first book of photography. Editor: Ah, so a scientific document presented with the elegance of art. Is that accurate? I can totally see how science peeps back then latched onto this. It’s way cooler than, like, drawing. Did that have a huge effect? Curator: Precisely! She used this photographic technique to document British algae species. This opened up the field, giving other female botanists a medium through which they could accurately, beautifully, publish their observations. However, art historians note how this was distributed within specific scientific circles, not as part of a larger exhibition open to the public, which defined much of what we now understand of photography. Editor: But this particular piece-- it’s not just informative, right? I mean, there’s something melancholic about the isolation of each specimen against the inky blue. Did you notice they seem to be subtly dissolving into the background, as if barely held to this dimension? Or am I just projecting? Curator: I believe you're tapping into a deeper truth. Though presented under the guise of scientific cataloging, the artistry speaks volumes about our relationship to the natural world—how we strive to capture and contain it, yet nature retains an elusive, almost spectral quality. It suggests that we must keep things both precise and artistic if we seek not only data but true understanding, almost… devotion. Editor: Exactly. You put words to my unhinged thoughts! Alright, that was oddly… profound, I must admit. So cool!