T15. Solar Cyanotypes in Post-Industrial Ecologies with Paula Roush

In this workshop, participants will follow a field-based cyanotype protocol that combines experimental photography, ecological fieldwork, and collective outdoor printing. The session is inspired by the project One Green Eye, the Other Blue: Herbarium of the Anthropocene, bringing together photographic practice and environmental awareness. Participants will take part in a short dérive to a nearby vacant lot or post-industrial margin, gathering spontaneous plants growing through cracks, rubble, and abandoned ground. Large cotton textiles, pre-sensitised the night before and transported in opaque black bags, will be used on site to compose cyanotypes directly with the collected plants, emphasizing the role of place, time, and environment in the image-making process. After exposure under direct sunlight, the group will return indoors to develop the textiles in water, watching the emergence of Prussian blue. Inside, participants will also see a demonstration of cyanotype chemistry preparation and the coating of small textile samples, reinforcing a complete technical understanding of the process from preparation to final image. The workshop frames printing as a more-than-human ritual, where plants, light, weather, and human action come together to produce the image, encouraging a collective and ecological approach to photographic practice.  

Outline

1. Introduction to cyanotype basics, ecology of ruins, safety notes, and explanation of pre-sensitised fabrics
2. Field walk to a nearby vacant lot and gathering of spontaneous urban plants, with discussion on botanical resilience
3. On-site setup for printing: opening black bags and laying out pre sensitised textiles
4. Composition with collected plants and solar exposure outdoors
5. Return indoors for rinsing and revelation of the prints and drying in shade
6. Demonstration of mixing cyanotype chemistry and coating small textile samples
7. Final sharing, documentation, and group reflection