Anthotypes & Other Organic Processes I (Live Online)

This class is an introduction to plant-based photographic processes! It will cover anthotypes, chlorophyll printing, lumens, and phytograms. We will meet via online platform once a week for demos and students will then take what they have learned and complete that week’s assignment, returning for critique and a new demo each week.An online digital classroom is used between meetings to post work and ask questions.Anthotypes date back to the 19th century and that intrepid gentleman scientist, Sir John Herschel. An emulsion is made from fresh plant material, coated on paper, and exposed using the sun.Chlorophyll printing is related to anthotype printing, but instead of using plant juices to create an emulsion, an image is created directly on leaves using an object, stencil, or positive transparency.Lumens are camera-less prints made using plant materials in direct contact with black and white silver gelatin photographic papers to create wildly colored and unpredictable prints of great beauty.Phytograms are similar to lumen prints but are made by using an organic and nontoxic chemistry and plants on film rather than paper. This can then be developed and used for printing or presented as a final art object.At our wrap up class, we will discuss presentation options and preservation of these ephemeral images.