We are pleased to say that Helen Barff will be presenting a selection of her cyanotype prints at a group show curated by Tom Norris and Nadège Mériau, 16 November 2023 - 29 January 2024, at Milton Gallery, London SW13 9JT.
Barff's work will feature alongside Mina Kim, Rosa Nguyen, Meera Bahree, Sayoka Sugawara, Spencer Shaw, Sonia Kahn, Riona Das, Tom Norris and Nadège Mériau.
" Photosensitive, an exhibition of cyanotypes, originated from ongoing darkroom explorations and dialogues among staff and students at St Paul’s Girls School.
The show points to the transformative potential of psychological and chemical interactions, to what happens when humans or substances converge beyond linear hierarchal systems. Established artists have been invited to exhibit alongside students and educators, some of whom are accomplished artists themselves. In addition to the showcased artworks, there will be a small program of cyanotype workshops to engage young people in this analogue process, fostering an expanded network and dialogue inspired by the exhibition.
The cyanotype process combines two chemicals: ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide. Through this chemical reaction, a light sensitive solution is made that can be applied to a variety of surfaces, ranging from paper to clay. The method involves creating a print without the use of a camera or a negative; instead, an object is placed directly onto the coated, dry paper and then exposed to sunlight or UV light. The final image is revealed after washing the paper in water, resulting in a white silhouette set against a blue-cyan background.
Cyanotypes are unique in that they serve as direct physical records of objects, yet they offer mere traces rather than three-dimensional 'presence,' imbuing them with an elusive and enigmatic quality. Through this early photographic process, Photosensitive immerses us in the realms of the spectral, the evocative and the forgotten, creating a space for subconscious, liquid or aerial worlds. For some of the artists in the show, the cyan hue conjures up bodies of water, whether it be the ocean (Mina Kim and Nadège Mériau), the river Thames (Tom Norris) or the rain (Sayako Sugawara). For others, cyanotypes evoke the ghostly essence of memories, be they real or imagined, as seen in Helen Barff's fabric works, which pay tribute to the unsung heroines of WWII, Spencer Rise's glimpses into her mother's wardrobe, or Riona Das' Sari, imprinted with photographs of Kolkata and London projected on her body. Sonia Kahn's comic book recollects the original graphic use of cyanotype as blueprint. Meanwhile, Rosa Nguyen and Meera Bahree challenge our expectations of the medium by either submerging their prints in clay (Rosa NGuyen) or applying the photosensitive solution to red fabric, silencing the cyan color in innovative ways. "
