Artist Introduction

During the residency I became interested in exploring darkroom printing techniques within AR. I used Adobe Illustrator and Vectary to edit Anna Atkins cyanotype prints and to create the artwork. You are welcome to scan the QR codes to see two of the artworks in AR. You can also take your own photos with the AR artworks. 

A QR code for the Polypodium vulgare cyanotype print. QR codes are in the shape of a square filled with a unique black and white pattern. When you turn your phone camera on and place the camera in front of the QR code you will be prompted to click on the link. The link will open ‘Vectary’ in a web browser, it might take a few moments to load. Once loaded you will see the artwork in the middle of the screen and a ‘AR’ logo in the top right-hand corner which is black and white and in the shape of a phone with AR written in the middle. If you tap on the ‘AR’ logo it will then open your phone camera, on an iPhone it will say across the middle of your screen ‘move iPhone to start’ as it needs light for it to place the object. Once it is happy it will place the artwork on a surface. You can drag with both thumbs on the screen to make the artwork smaller or larger and with one thumb to move around, you can also take a photo of the artwork in your location.
Polypodium vulgare is a print of one fern leaf. I’ve edited the print taking the outline of the fern leaf using Adobe Illustrator to turn 3D and I’ve placed the original image as a material on top. The fern leaf leans to one side and is cyanotype blue with patches of lighter blue which is the outline of the fern leaf in the print.
A QR code for the Cystoseira granulate cyanotype print. QR codes are in the shape of a square filled with a unique black and white pattern. When you turn your phone camera on and place the camera in front of the QR code you will be prompted to click on the link. The link will open ‘Vectary’ in a web browser, it might take a few moments to load. Once loaded you will see the artwork in the middle of the screen and a ‘AR’ logo in the top right-hand corner which is black and white and in the shape of a phone with AR written in the middle. If you tap on the ‘AR’ logo it will then open your phone camera, on an iPhone it will say across the middle of your screen ‘move iPhone to start’ as it needs light for it to place the object. Once it is happy it will place the artwork on a surface. You can drag with both thumbs on the screen to make the artwork smaller or larger and with one thumb to move around, you can also take a photo of the artwork in your location.
Cystoseira granulate is a print of a botanical study of marine algae. I’ve edited the print taking the outline of the algae using Adobe Illustrator to turn 3D and I’ve placed the original image as a material on top. The algae has four branches that are spread out delicately and is cyanotype blue with patches of lighter blue which is the outline of the algae in the print.

Prints used:

Anna Atkins: Cystoseira granulata 
– Cyanotype print from British Algae by Anna Atkins (1843)
Anna Atkins: Polypodium vulgare
– Cyanotypes of British and Foreign Ferns (1853)

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