Capturing Nature from Cyanotype
Recently, I have been intrigued and attracted by the cyanotype and its striking visual effects, leading me to experiment with this medium. Cyanotype captures the delicate textures and forms of plants, including veins, stems, and petals, preserving their delicate details. This method creates a direct connection with nature, freezing the fleeting beauty of plants into a timeless representation. Through this process, ephemeral life gains a sense of permanence, as if time itself is sealed within the blue canvas. It was through this exploration that I discovered Anna Atkins, a botanist who used cyanotype to document fast-growing plant specimens, carefully recording their forms and structures. Her approach not only satisfied the scientific need for accuracy but also provided her work with a unique aesthetic appeal. The stark white outlines of plants against the deep blue background evoke a sense of calm and purity. In her collections, even the tiniest details of plant structures, often invisible to the naked eye or a camera, are rendered with clarity. Even though some of the leaves overlap, the intersecting lines of the plants and the subtle roots on the petals can still be seen clearly because of the transparency. This fascination with overlapping transparency inspires me to incorporate cyanotype techniques into my oil paintings, allowing sunlight’s imprint to influence my canvases.
Beyond the Threshold
Earlier this year, I visited the Venice Biennale, where the German section left the deepest impression on me. Upon entering a space filled with smoke, accompanied by powerful sound effects, visitors are immediately immersed in a post-apocalyptic atmosphere. The exhibition, titled Thresholds, explores boundaries across multiple dimensions in time and space. Each moment serves as a threshold between a fading past and an uncertain future, reflecting the challenges faced by modern individuals. Especially for those affected by migration, this piece becomes a deeply physical and spatial experience, as their lives constantly exist at the intersection of multiple identities.
The exhibition is divided into three parts. The first, by artist Yael Bartana, presents a symbolic farewell ritual for a spaceship, depicting a catastrophic present and an unknown, potentially doomed world. In the second part, Ersan Mondtag contrasts the whole exhibition area with a fragmented narrative within a seemingly insignificant space. The third part bridges the Giardini, an area of parkland which hosts the Venice Biennale, and another site, La Certosa, where artists Michael Akstaller, Nicole L’Huillier, Robert Lippok, and Jan St. Werner create a resonant space. Their work highlights the significance of transitional moments in time and space, addressing the crises and uncertainties encountered at these thresholds.
These varied perspectives, presented through immersive and innovative experiences, challenge me to broaden my own artistic practice. In addressing social issues, I recognize the importance of adopting multiple viewpoints and embracing bold, expansive approaches to my critical thinking.
Yael Bartana, Light to the Nations , 2024
Michael Akstaller, Scattered by the Trees, 2024
Cyanotypes works from Anna Atkins
Yael Bartana, Farewell (still) , 2024
Nicole L'Huilier, Encuentros, 2024
Robert Lippok, Feld, 2024
Ersan Mondtag, Monument eines unbekannten Menschen, 2024
Jan St. Werner, Volumes Inverted, 2024
