In Blue

Cyanotypes are a unique type of sun print where prints are produced by playing an object, such as a leaf, on paper coated with a solution of iron salts. The object and paper are then exposed to UV light for a period of time before being rinsed with water. What is left is a striking blue and white print of the featured object. Keep reading to learn more about Mariano Chavez's process in his own words.

Cyanotype is the first photographic process invented by Sir John Herschel in 1842. This process was created for reproducing detailed drawings and maps (blueprints) and was also highly useful for scientific documentation. A key cyanotype pioneer was Anna Atkins. Anna is well known for her field work in documenting algae and other plants. This process was perfect for field work and allowed her to make prints directly with the materials in the field and the sun.

I was always interested in old blueprints and especially the color that these artworks possessed. It led me to experiment with making cyanotypes in the sun, at first, and then I started making my own exposure table, which was a glass table I found someone was selling locally. I was telling an old printmaking friend of mine about what I was trying to do and he offered to give me an old plate maker he had in his garage. I took the old platemaker and modified it. I flipped it upside down and put it on a furniture cart. This allowed me to move the light around the film negative or plant material I was working with. Over time, and several thousand prints later, I decided that I was serious enough to commit to a large professional exposure unit. This was a nice transition as waiting for consistent sun light was a bit of a struggle in Chicago.

This show is a product of working with this process for almost a decade. Among the various media I work with, I made it a point to stay in practice with the cyanotype process and continue regularly to understand it and evolve the quality of the work I was making. Much of my interest has been direct singular imagery—mostly from nature; the moon, stars, and planets. I am always particularly interested in space and celestial work or plants and natural materials. There is something about the process that makes it a great medium to document my ideas and work them out. 

Among my pursuits, I had been looking at the photographic work Tom Schrader was making in the field. I was really excited to see his work. Tom, a nature photographer, has been working locally for some time and is always on the quest for tracking eagles and other birds in the area. I had asked him if I could translate some of this work. What I am after isn’t just a copy of the photograph, but a reinterpretation and feeling that goes beyond that. For example, the snowy owl perched on the log looks like an illustration from the 1940s. There is something magical that happens when working the negative to produce this other type of image. We produced some exciting results and there is just so much work that we couldn’t include everything in one show. This was a very serendipitous collaboration between Tom and I and it blended in well with the body of work I was exploring previously. I hope you enjoy the results of the work In Blue.

Mariano Chavez is a multi-media artist based in Chicago. His work ranges in materials from sculpture, painting, photography, and print including the cyanotype process used in this project. He has consistently maintained a print studio active for the last 20 years. In 2008, his studio merged with a business he founded called Agent Gallery. Agent Gallery began as a retail space that eventually evolved into focused curated objects that often deal with design, biomedical, scientific interests, and historical NASA designed objects that has become a useful resource for those collecting historical items for research. He considers Agent Gallery a source for inspiration that leads as a starting point for creating artwork. Mariano has exhibited nationally and internationally in places such as the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, The Chicago Cultural Center, National Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago, Ed Paschke Art Center Chicago, John Malloy New York, Marinaro Gallery NY, and Kanal Centre Pompidou Brussels to name a few. He received his MFA (2005) and BFA (2003) in painting and drawing at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He also taught at The School of the Art Institute Printmedia Department for five years before dedicating himself full-time to Agent Gallery and studio work.

THIS EXHIBIT IS PARTIALLY SUPPORTED BY A GRANT FROM THE ILLINOIS ARTS COUNCIL.