Cosmos
Cosmos is a series of photograms made with the historic cyanotype process—objects are positioned on photosensitive paper and exposed to the sun. Cosmos began shortly after my father’s death from Covid. I felt driven to make joyous and hopeful work as a tribute to my father and as an antidote to the grim pandemic. Exuberant blues from the cyanotype process and dynamic shapes express these sentiments, and during quarantine, it seemed fitting to create using household objects. Working outdoors provided a path through my sadness about his final months inside a care facility. In a metaphysical way, I imagined his spirit outdoors with me. I considered the loss unfolding on a global scale; the universality of the experience found its way into my work in an allusion to our cosmos and a shared sky.
My approach aligns with surrealist photographers who worked intuitively, often using three-dimensional objects to make abstract images. Light and shadow fall across multiple objects to reach the paper. The images are unique, specific to the time, quality of light and subtle variations in the chemistry mixture. I am inspired by this visual metamorphosis and new meaning that is possible when an otherwise familiar material changes context.