"August Violas No. 2" by Brenda Roger
August Violas No. 2
Brenda Roger
Media: Cyano-Lumen
Size: 19 ¼" x 17"
Price: $750
Artist Statement:
As a photographer working in the 21st Century, I believe that I should use every tool available. No process or technology is off limits. They simply serve the idea and the image. The image is above all other considerations. Cyano-lumens Cameraless images that use the sun as a light source have been a part of my artistic practice for several years. I use plants from my own garden, many of which have been grown by me from seeds over the winter. Botanical imagery invites contemplation of the cycles of life, and the passage of time. I often use plant material that is at the end of its life cycle, and photographic materials that are expired. I freeze a moment in time, and give the plants and the materials new life.
Artist Bio:
Brenda Roger works in alternative and historic process photography. She is a graduate of Seton Hill University, and studied photography at Pittsburgh Filmmakers. Ms. Roger is a member of Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, and the Women’s Committee of the Carnegie Museum of Art.
Photo Process:
A lumen print is a cameraless image made by exposing black and white photo paper to sunlight and heat. The paper is never developed. Instead it either remains unfixed and fugitive, or is fixed directly after exposure. It is a contact print, meaning objects or a negative are placed directly onto the paper and exposed. In my case, the objects are plants and flowers from my garden. The plant material is arranged on the paper, and exposed to sunlight and heat for several hours. I then remove the print temporarily from the contact frame and spray cyanotype chemistry onto it through laser cut fabric. The print is then returned to the contact frame and exposed for a few more hours. Instead of traditional sodium thiosulfate fixer, I use a saturated solution of sea salt. The fixing process lasts several days and results in multiple color changes. Lately, I have been omitting the final rinse from the processing, and leaving the iridescent crust of salt on the image.