Cyanotype photography is one of the oldest photographic printing processes in the history of photography. (source: Jana Liptáková)
It is not always necessary to wield a camera to take photos. One such technique is cyanotype photography, producing cyan-blue prints where even a dark room is not necessary. Those interested can try this camera-less technique in the Open Studio of the Slovak National Gallery (SNG) this Friday, September 15, between 14:00 and 18:00.
“We will work with light-sensitive paper and light to aid the transferring of image to paper,” Zuzana Dzurdzíková, spokesperson of the SNG, told The Slovak Spectator. “Visitors will be able to let their work dry and return for it when they leave the gallery.”
The Open Studio (Otvorený Ateliér) and the programme is also suitable for English speakers.
“The studio also has text instructions in English and an instructional video with English instructions,” said Dzurdzíková. “There is also an instructor present who will assist visitors during the creative process.”
Cyanotype photography
Cyanotype photography is one of the oldest photographic printing processes in the history of photography. The distinctive feature of the print is its shade of cyan blue, which results from its exposure to ultraviolet light. This technology was widely used to reproduce the technical drawings of architects and engineers until the arrival of photocopy machines.
The monochromatic prints, i.e. in the shadows of only one colour, are the results of a technology during which paper with a layer of an iron-rich sensitiser solution is exposed to UV rays, for example from the sun. Then the print is rinsed in water and dried.
“The beauty of this technology is that when making your own light-sensitive paper and then the prints, you never know what the final colour and thus the final image will be,” said Jana Nováková, who tried Cyanotype photography in the past. “It’s magical.”
Free Open Studio
The Open Studio is open free of charge to all who visit the free zone of the SNG on its ground floor. Apart from the studio, visitors can visit the whole courtyard, the café and the bookshop for free as well.
“We want to introduce everyone to art in a playful way, where they can try to create something themselves and understand how different art techniques work,” said Dzurdzíková.
The SNG introduced this new format this summer. Visitors can create their own piece of art corresponding a different theme with the help of the instructor. Simple creative assignments with instructions are dedicated to a different theme each week. In this cosy space of the gallery, those interested can find art tools, tutorials and inspiration.
While during summer the Open Studio was held each Thursday and Friday, in the fall it switched to a monthly schedule. After September’s event dedicated to cyanotype photography, the event on October 13 will deal with biomorphic art, i.e. pieces of art that while abstract, nevertheless refer to, or evoke, living forms such as plants and the human body.
