Archer Library First Installation

Archer Library Installation, image courtesy Trent Kostelny

For our first installation at the Dr. John Archer Library, students used specimens from the George F. Ledingham Herbarium. With the facilitation of Associate Dean Dr. Mel Hart, of the Faculty of Science, students were able to peruse through and borrow specimens not yet formally accessioned. The Herbarium was established in 1945 and has tens of thousands of plant, bryophyte, and lichen specimens from Saskatchewan and beyond. Dr. Hart also loaned students some marine invertebrate specimens, which are also featured in some of the works on display

Most of the cyanotypes in this installation are cameraless photographs. The chemistry is applied to paper with a brush, and once dried, specimens are placed in direct contact with the paper and exposed under ultraviolet light. Flat specimens can be held in close contact using glass, giving sharp edges to the images. Dimensional specimens can not be flattened with glass, and the light bounces around the objects giving less sharp edges that appear like shadows or movement.

Check out students’ individual blog posts to read more details about their specific works.

Special thanks to Michael Shires of the Archer library for his coordination and assistance; and Dr. Mel Hart for facilitating this art-science collaboration - check out their bio below.

Mel Hart is Associate Dean Student Experience and Engagement in the Faculty of Science. In their home department of biology, Mel is a Lab Instructor who is passionate about hands-on biology that focuses on plants and animals, living and dead. Mel is enthusiastic about collaborating with those inside and outside the Faculty of Science to create new learning opportunities for students, find new ways to showcase the interconnectedness of disciplines traditionally seen as disparate under the Eurocentric teaching model, and highlight the incredible opportunities possible at the University of Regina. Current projects that are keeping Mel excited include the revitalization of the George F. Ledingham Herbarium, Science Camps for Saskatchewan Indigenous Youth, and a suite of collaborative efforts with colleagues in Arts and MAP.

image courtesy Trent Kostelny

Herbarium/Sea Life/Other: Contact Prints

Hi! My name is Jayden Thompson and I am a third year MAP student pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in printmaking and photo-based art. I haven’t always been in art though, I started out in science, pre-med. So getting to revisit the science wing of the university as while as work with many different types of specimens was fun!

“Dropped Sea Stars”

My pieces also include personal pressed flowers. 

Personal Pressed Flowers-Bleached

Personal Pressed Flower

Personal Pressed Flowers-Bleached & Toned

For two of them I toned the prints afterward, bleaching both and soaking one of them in black tea. 

Dr. Mel Hart and the Faculty of Science allowed us to pick samples from the George F. Ledingham Herbarium and sea creatures from the Biology Department to make our contact prints for this installation.

I am so grateful to have this experience and learn from my classmates and Risa. This class has been so different than my other photography classes but are similar to my other studio print classes, so it feels familiar.  Getting to work with talented artists while all learning new processes and techniques is an experience I encourage everyone to do! So highly recommend taking this class next year!

Herbarium and Sea Life: Contact Prints

 My name is Elizabeth Dow and I am in the Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts with a focus in photography. I also work as an Admin Assistant in the Faculty of MAP and have a previous Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Regina in Theatre. 

I have enjoyed learning the cyanotype process and the skills for smooth coverage with the chemicals and then being able to play around with the brushstrokes visible on the paper. This is a look that decided I liked more than the clean like of taped borders. 

I also experimented with adding more pieces to my prints throughout the exposure process to create depth in my prints and have gotten some interesting images through that process. 

For this installation we worked together with Dr. Mel Hart and the Faculty of Science to pick samples from the George F. Ledingham Herbarium and sea creatures from the Biology Department to use to make our contact prints.  I was drawn to the way that the sea creatures lent themselves to the cyanotype process as they just seemed to work well on the blue.

We have also worked with the process of toning our cyanotypes to different shades and colours using a variety of natural materials, including teas, barks and wine tannins.  This is a process that interested me for the ability to experiment and I plan to delve into this more as I move forward. I have already made my own green tea toner which I used for a print for this installation.

 This course has been much different than the other photography classes I have taken with Risa so far, but the hands on and playful aspect of it has been amazing. Not to mention getting to do it with so many people that I have worked with from the start of my photography classes.

CAMERA LESS CYANOTYPE: HERBARIUM

In this post, I would like to share my exploration using the camera-less cyanotype process with the theme of the herbarium. As a visual art student, I have always been captivated by the intersection of art, nature, and science, and this project allowed me to delve deeper into this connection.

Using the cyanotype process without using a camera, I was able to capture the intricate details of various plant specimens, creating delicate blue-prints similar to traditional herbarium print collections. Each of the specimens was carefully arranged on a coated paper with solutions of iron salts and exposed to UV light to create unique compositions.

Left: Euphoria Serpyllifolia

Exposure Time: 15 minutes

Right: Bromus Tectorum L.

Exposure Time: 15 minutes

Top: Gypsophila

Exposure Time: 15 minutes

Bottom: Matricaria Discoidea

Exposure Time: 13 minutes

My name is Nico Inocalla a 4th year Visual Art student at the University of Regina.

                                                              

Cyanotype prints - Jim Hall

I first made cyanotype prints in a previous class 4 years ago. In this current class, my initial attempts at making prints were not good. After Risa Horowitz's refresher on brushing chemistry on the watercolour paper, my prints turned out much better. 

In addition to making prints using plants from the University of Regina Herbarium, I tried coral and starfish specimens from the Herbarium using the traditional approach of placing the specimen on the coated paper, covering it with glass and then exposing it to UV light. The resulting images were not detailed and blurry. I then took digital photos of all the specimens and edited them in Photoshop, making them black and white and then inverting them. Sheldon Brown, the class TA, printed the images on transparent film. I then placed individual transparencies on coated paper and exposed each one for 15 minutes.  These images were very detailed and sharp.

I've posted photos of the Library exhibit of my 4 plant specimens and 4 of my coral and starfish specimens. I've also posted individual images as the prints were drying in cyanotype room.

My name is Jim Hall and I'm taking a Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Visual Arts. My main photographic interests are landscape and street photography. 

Florence Duesterbecks Cyanotypes 1

I am from Regina and I am a senior student at the University of Regina enrolled in the Post-Baccalaureate in Visual Arts Certificate program. This is a post Bachelor of Fine Arts program of ten higher level Art and Art History classes. For the senior class I am enrolled in I am doing some work with cyanotype along with other photography related art.

I like to research what others have done using cyanotype, try new techniques, develop some of my own then experiment to see what kind of images and art I can create.

For Wild in Saskatchewan, I used plants I gathered and pressed. I admire these wild plants for their hardiness, tenacity and survival in the face of changing weather, human’s eradication efforts and the green environment they offer. I used a technique Julian Sandro shared on the Internet to add depth to cameraless cyanotypes.  

Siberian Elm (Ulmus pumila) uses a technique I thought of where I alternately layer leaves and glass three times to add depth. I also wanted to experiment with how to get the glow around a flat object.

For Bur Oak I used a leaf I found while walking on campus in February. Annette Golaz has referred to where you tone a cyanotype (in this case I used oak bark) and then coat it again and over print it again with cyanotype solution. I printed it on a scrap of photo print paper, something I have been experimenting with.

For Awareness Leads to Prevention (Dutch Elm Disease) I first printed the leaf using an Epson printer on semi-matte photo printing paper. I coated this print with cyanotype solution and printed it with the digital print of the fungus, the drawing of the beetle, and masking the leaves with the original elm leaves. For the version with the brown background, I toned the result with oak bark. I wanted to see if I could successfully do combination printing and toning using semi-matte photo paper.

Glass Sponge Skeleton Detail – I was intrigued with the Venus' flower basket’s (Euplectella aspergillum) skeleton. I had never seen anything like this before.

Herbarium: Cameraless Contacts

I am Mary Rose Molina, a student at the University of Regina majoring in Political Science and minoring in Photography. I was born and raised in Mati City, Davao Oriental, Philippines, and an immigrant in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. I am passionate about photography, and I am eager for my journey ahead. I am enjoying what I have been doing right now.

In my cyanotype process, I try to merge two prints in the form of diptychs. I merged the artistry of photography with the storytelling essence of film. Each diptych invites viewers to view my prints as a cinematic type. I aim to evoke nostalgia through this medium, creating a timeless visual print.

The plant that I used is Dyssodia Papposa, and some of my pressed flowers and ferns. In exposing these plants to the UV light, I used glass and foam. I tried to layer the plants by 2 minutes, 3 minutes, and 10 minutes.

The plants that I used are Dyssodia Papposa, Matricaria Matricarioides, and Euphorbia Serpyllifolia. In exposing these plants to UV light, I used the glass and foam. I layered the plants by 5 minutes and 10 minutes.

The plant that I used is Bromus Inermis. In exposing the plant to the UV light, I used glass and foam. I exposed the plant for 15 minutes and toned the left side of my print for 15 minutes with green tea.

The plants that I used are Euphorbia Serpyllifolia, Matricaria Matricarioides, and some of my pressed flowers. In exposing these plants to the UV light, for 4 minutes - I did not use the glass and the foam, and for 11 minutes - I used the glass without the foam. I also toned the left side of my print for 15 minutes with wine tannin.

The plants that I used are Polygonum Achoreum and some of my pressed flowers and ferns. I exposed the plant to the UV light for 15 minutes with glass and foam.

 

Herbarium: Cameraless Contacts

 

Hello, my name is Rhylynn Wahl, I'm a digital & film artist based in Regina, Saskatchewan. Currently, I am completing my bachelor's degree in computer science, & a certificate in photography with the University of Regina.  

Cyanotype is the original blueprint, using potassium ferricyanide, ferric ammonium citrate, & light to create a blue image. It was a way for John Herschel to reproduce his notes. I aim to capture, reproduce, & share George F. Ledingham Herbarium with the cyanotype process. 

The process I used was quite particular as I experimented with minor differences and made sure to repeat processes leading me to my final images. All images from start to finish are labeled and have notes taken on the detailed process. For my final 9x12" images, I used 1.5ml of total chemical and placed the page in the lightbox for 15 minutes (with the plants placed on the paper). I used hydrogen peroxide to develop the image and citric acid to balance the water.

Parietaria & Unknown 
Taped borders, 0.5 ml solution, for each 6x9", 15 minutes in total of the lightbox
added Parietaria twice at 2 minutes, 4 minutes, & 6 minutes mark. 

                     

Euphorbia Serpyllifolia, August 21, 1990, Native to the United States.

   Taped borders, 1.5 ml solution, 15 minutes in the lightbox. 

                  

Artemisia Ludociciana, June 23, 1970, Highway 191 Wheatland County 

Mountain. 

Double-sided tape on the back, 1.5 ml solution, 20 minutes in the lightbox, 

practiced brush strokes. 

                          

   Artemisia Ludoviciana. August 4, 1997, West of Wascana Creek. 

  Double-sided tape on the back, 1.75 ml solution, 15 minutes in the lightbox. 

                        

Polygonum Lapathifolium, August 3, 1998, 2335 Athol Street, Cathedral 

Area. 

Taped borders, 1.5 ml solution, 15 minutes in the lightbox. 

                    

     Hesperis Matronalis, June 22, 1998, Europe & Asia.

     Double-sided tape on the back, 2 ml solution, dried for 30 minutes and coated

     once more, 20 minutes in the lightbox, practiced brush strokes.   

                   

    Papaveraceae, July 7, 1995, Wascana Pond North of Universty, Regina. 

    Double-sided tape on the back, 1.75 ml solution, 15 minutes in the lightbox.  

                          

  Polygonum Lapathifolium, August 28, 1995, Lake View Area, Regina.

  Double-sided tape on the back, 1.75 ml solution, 15 minutes in the lightbox. 

                          

Solidago Canadensis (Canada goldenrod), August 4, 1998, Native to 

Alaska to Newfoundland. 

Taped borders, 1.5 ml solution, 15 minutes in the lightbox.  

                         

Unknown 

Taped borders, 1.5 ml solution, 15 minutes in the lightbox. 

                          

    

  Visceral Geranium, October 29, 1998, 2335 Athol Cathedral Area, Regina.

    Double-sided tape on the back, 1.75 ml solution, 10 minutes in the lightbox

    with the circle left for a day 6 minutes in the lightbox with just the Visceral 

    Geranium.