Photographs of British Algae. Cyanotype Impressions 1843 - 1853

Editor: So, this is Anna Atkins' "Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions," made between 1843 and 1853. It looks like a bound book, a mix of photography and printmaking... very striking in its deep blue. What jumps out at you? Curator: The materiality is precisely where the intrigue lies. Consider cyanotype: a relatively inexpensive process involving iron salts and sunlight. Atkins, by utilizing this method, democratizes image-making at a time when photography was a highly specialized and expensive practice. Editor: Democratizing? That’s interesting; how so? Curator: Because the production itself, not just the image, is available to more people. It's a challenge to the established hierarchy. Instead of commissioning an engraving, Atkins literally produces this book through the most advanced scientific means she has available and prints herself. What does it mean to circulate scientific information in a way that is indistinguishable from art, made available to other people to then make on their own as well? Editor: So you’re saying the choice of cyanotype is as crucial as the images of algae themselves, and the mode of distribution then? Curator: Absolutely. It underscores the value of accessible technologies in disseminating knowledge, artistic vision and more; where it gets printed, by who, who profits… Those questions define this work, more than say, pure aesthetics. Editor: That shifts my perspective. I was focused on the aesthetic of the cyan blue, but seeing it as a deliberate choice of accessible technology...that's powerful. Thank you. Curator: My pleasure! Materiality offers such rich entry points into understanding artistic intention and its societal impact.