The Original Through Blue

In Winter 2020 at the University of Regina I offered a course in cyanotype for the first time. While over this past decade I have developed modest but robust digital curriculum and facilities, we have no darkroom at this time. Fall semester was spent converting a room into a functional space with dry and wet areas, our trusted yellow bug light, and a custom 24x24" UV exposure unit built by our Visual Arts Technician Jesse Goddard.

Unsure how students would take to this new old medium, I designed cameraless contact and digital negative assignments, and arranged a public exhibition at The Archway Gallery, at the University of Regina Archer Library. 

And then the novel coronavirus reached us; our studio courses were wrapped up promptly during the third week of March 2020; the exhibition was cancelled; and these amazing students hustled to ensure I had all of their work for assessment.

Students had two hours on two days, the week the U cancelled classes, to collect personal effects and collate their work for me to grade. With their permission, I hurriedly documented hundreds of pieces using my mobile phone.

This group of aspiring and emerging artists have made wonderful work, devoted themselves to impressive explorations, and created some technically fabulous cyanotype photographs. All of these completely surpassed my uncertain expectations with this new course. I am so proud of the group, and hope this website can give them a wide audience.

Check out that website for the original Through Blue works.

---- Professor Risa Horowitz, Department of Visual Arts, University of Regina, March 2020.