Captured near a roadside in Gothenburg, Sweden, these cyanotype photographs showcase a striking scene of urban nature full of character. A steep cliffside looms over the street, restrained by wire netting to prevent any potential rockfall. Below, natural flora and fauna push through the restraints, creating a captivating interplay between the rugged rock face and the resilient vegetation—the juxtaposition of the uneven cliff and the lush growth results in a visually dramatic and stunning composition.

Cyanotype photographs: the process

These images are not mere photographs but a testament to the meticulous artistry of the cyanotype process, which traces its origins back to 1842. A solution of photosensitive iron salts is delicately painted upon watercolour paper. Once dry, a digital negative is carefully sandwiched with the paper and illuminated with ultraviolet light. The resulting blue image is a cyanotype photograph, a unique and captivating art form. I then proceeded to bleach the image lightly before toning it in a solution made from white Aleppo oak gall apples, adding depth and character to the composition with darker iron grey and lighter reddish brown hues.

Camera technique

I captured these photos using a Fujifilm GFX 100s camera with an 80mm f/1.7 lens. The camera features a medium format sensor and exceptional optics, resulting in highly detailed and high-quality images.

AI-generated process

Image generation involves using unusual prompts or descriptions, here a quote from Derrida’s text:

„We know that these exchanges only take place by way of the language and the text, in the infrastructural sense that we now give to that word. And what we call production is necessarily a text, the system of a writing and of a reading which we know is ordered around its own blind spot. We know this a priori, but only now and with a knowledge that is not a knowledge at all, thus illustrating the critical relationship between text and imagery.“

The images are generated programmatically using sequences of 16 digits of pi as seeds. They are then resized using ON1 Resize AI and adjusted in Capture One Pro, with the prompt added to the resulting image in Affinity design. The final digital negative is output using the PiezoDN technique. Finally, each image is printed on watercolour paper and sometimes toned to achieve the intended tonal scale.

Cyanotype photographs: the process

These images are not mere photographs but a testament to the meticulous artistry of the cyanotype process, which traces its origins back to 1842. A solution of photosensitive iron salts is delicately painted upon watercolour paper. Once dry, a digital negative is carefully sandwiched with the paper and illuminated with ultraviolet light. The resulting blue image is a cyanotype photograph, a unique and captivating art form. The final process for this series of generated cyanotype photographs is not the same for all images. Some are left untoned and, therefore, keep their characteristic blue colour. Others are lightly bleached, either in a solution made from white Aleppo oak gall apples, producing iron grey blacks and reddish grey hues, or a solution from red pine bark, which tints the paper and gives the image a characteristic reddish-brown hue.

Cyanotype photographs: the process

These images are not mere photographs but a testament to the meticulous artistry of the cyanotype process, which traces its origins back to 1842. A solution of photosensitive iron salts is delicately painted upon watercolour paper. Once dry, a digital negative is carefully sandwiched with the paper and illuminated with ultraviolet light. The resulting blue image is a cyanotype photograph, a unique and captivating art form. I then lightly bleached the image before toning it in tannic acid, adding depth and character to the composition with darker iron grey and lighter reddish brown hues.

Editions & folios for sale

The artwork is offered for sale in the following formats:

1. 28 x 28 cm single image edition, limited to 16 copies: Priced at kr. 25,000 (roughly 180) each.
2. 36 x 37 cm single-image edition, limited to 8 copies: Priced at kr. 40,000 (roughly $280) each.
3. A 25 x 25 cm box set folio edition of all 8 images, limited to 8 copies: Priced at kr. 150,000 (roughly $1,100) each.
4. A 36 x 37 cm box set folio edition of all 8 images, limited to 4 copies: Priced at kr. 220,000 (roughly $1,600) each.

Each copy and edition is signed and has a certificate of authenticity.

Individual images sized 28 x 28 cm can be ordered directly by selecting „Purchase“ on the relevant page.

For other sizes and inquiries, please select „Inquire“ or email at hlynur@hlynur.art.

Autumn Garden

Cyanotype photographs: the process

These images are not mere photographs but a testament to the meticulous artistry of the cyanotype process, which traces its origins back to 1842. A solution of photosensitive iron salts is delicately painted upon watercolour paper. Once dry, a digital negative is carefully sandwiched with the paper and illuminated with ultraviolet light. The resulting blue image is a cyanotype photograph, a unique and captivating art form. I then lightly bleached the image before toning it in tannic acid, adding depth and character to the composition with darker iron grey and lighter reddish brown hues.

Cyanotype photographs: the process

These images are not mere photographs but a testament to the meticulous artistry of the cyanotype process, which traces its origins back to 1842. A solution of photosensitive iron salts is delicately painted upon watercolour paper. Once dry, a digital negative is carefully sandwiched with the paper and illuminated with ultraviolet light. The resulting blue image is a cyanotype photograph, a unique and captivating art form. I then lightly bleached the image before toning it in tannic acid, adding depth and character to the composition with darker iron grey and lighter reddish brown hues.

Cyanotype photographs: the process

These images are not mere photographs but a testament to the meticulous artistry of the cyanotype process, which dates back to 1842. A solution of photosensitive iron salts is delicately painted upon watercolour paper. Once dry, a digital negative is carefully sandwiched with the paper and illuminated with ultraviolet light. The resulting blue image is a cyanotype photograph, a unique and captivating art form. I then lightly bleached the image before toning it in a solution made from sumac leaf tannin extract, adding depth and character to the composition with warm grey dark shades and lighter yellow-brown hues.

Camera technique

I captured these photos using a 1974 edition Zenza Bronica 6×6 film camera, shooting on Bergger 400 film stock. I then photographed the negatives with a camera setup and retouched them in Camera One before printing them as full-size digital negatives.

Cyanotype photographs: the process

These images are not mere photographs but a testament to the meticulous artistry of the cyanotype process, which traces its origins back to 1842. A solution of photosensitive iron salts is delicately painted upon watercolour paper. Once dry, a digital negative is carefully sandwiched with the paper and illuminated with ultraviolet light. The resulting blue image is a cyanotype photograph, a unique and captivating art form. I then lightly bleached the image before toning it in tannic acid, adding depth and character to the composition with darker iron grey and lighter reddish brown hues.

Camera technique

I captured these photos using a 1974 edition Zenza Bronica 6×6 film camera, shooting on Bergger 400 film stock. I then photographed the negatives with a camera setup and retouched them in Camera One before printing them as full-size digital negatives.

Editions & folios for sale

The series is available for purchase in these formats:

1. The 31 x 31 cm single image edition is limited to 6 copies. Each copy costs ISK 30.000 (circa $220).
2. The 56 x 56 cm single-image edition is limited to 3 copies. Each copy costs ISK 120.000 (circa $900).

Every copy and edition is signed and delivered with a certificate of authenticity.

You can order single images sized 56 x 56 cm directly by selecting „Purchase“ on the relevant page.
Please select „Inquire“ or email me at hlynur@hlynur.art for other sizes and queries.

Shooting technique

I captured these photos using a SonyA6600 digital camera, post-producing them with Capture One before printing them as full-size digital negatives.

Cyanotype photographs: the process

These images are not mere photographs but a testament to the meticulous artistry of the cyanotype process, which traces its origins back to 1842. A solution of photosensitive iron salts is delicately painted upon watercolour paper. Once dry, a digital negative is carefully sandwiched with the paper and illuminated with ultraviolet light. The resulting blue image is a cyanotype photograph, a unique and captivating art form. I then proceeded to bleach the image lightly before toning it in a solution made from black walnut husk, toning the whites while giving the blues a distinct violet cast.

Shooting technique

I shot the images using a vintage Leica IIIc camera from 1943, with a  Summitar 5cm f/2 lens, on Ricoh Retro 400 film. After processing them, I photographed the negatives and retouched them in Capture One before printing full-size digital negatives for contact printing.

Cyanotype photographs: the process

These images are not mere photographs but a testament to the meticulous artistry of the cyanotype process, which traces its origins back to 1842. A solution of photosensitive iron salts is delicately painted upon watercolour paper. Once dry, a digital negative is carefully sandwiched with the paper and illuminated with ultraviolet light. The resulting blue image is a cyanotype photograph, a unique and captivating art form. I then proceeded to bleach the image lightly before toning it in a solution made from white Aleppo oak gall nuts, adding depth and character to the composition with darker iron grey and lighter reddish brown hues.

Elysium is an awe-inspiring series comprising fifteen toned cyanotype photographs that vividly portray the dramatic interplay between the force of nature and the equilibrium of human civilization, giving a sense of urban nature. The serene landscapes are evocatively transformed into scenes teeming with tumult and peril, heightened by the pervasive influence of modern technology. The intricate mesh of effects created by the forest’s branches, bare leaves, fallen trees, and broken branches starkly contrasts the dominating presence of modernist structures looming overhead. This collection masterfully depicts the captivating dynamic between nature and human ingenuity.

Cyanotype photographs: the process

These images are not mere photographs but a testament to the meticulous artistry of the cyanotype process, which traces its origins back to 1842. A solution of photosensitive iron salts is delicately painted upon watercolour paper. Once dry, a digital negative is carefully sandwiched with the paper and illuminated with ultraviolet light. The resulting blue image is a cyanotype photograph, a unique and captivating art form. I then proceeded to bleach the image lightly before toning it in a solution made from white Aleppo oak gall apples, adding depth and character to the composition with darker iron grey and lighter reddish brown hues.

Cyanotype photographs: the process

These images are not mere photographs but a testament to the meticulous artistry of the cyanotype process, which traces its origins back to 1842. A solution of photosensitive iron salts is delicately painted upon watercolour paper. Once dry, a digital negative is carefully sandwiched with the paper and illuminated with ultraviolet light. The resulting blue image is a cyanotype photograph, a unique and captivating art form. I then lightly bleached the image before toning it in a solution made from sumac leave tannin extract, adding depth and character to the composition with warm grey dark shades and lighter yellow-brown hues.

Camera technique

I captured these photos using a Fujifilm GFX 100s camera with a 30mm f/2.8 lens. The camera features a medium format sensor and exceptional optics, resulting in highly detailed and high-quality images.

Cyanotype photographs: the process

These images are not mere photographs but a testament to the meticulous artistry of the cyanotype process, which traces its origins back to 1842. A solution of photosensitive iron salts is delicately painted upon watercolour paper. Once dry, a digital negative is carefully sandwiched with the paper and illuminated with ultraviolet light. The resulting blue image is a cyanotype photograph, a unique and captivating art form. These are then bleached and toned in a solution from red pine bark, which tints the paper and gives the darker tones a metallic feel and the lighter shades a rusty style that suits the subject matter perfectly.

AI-generation procedure

The image generation involves using unusual prompts or descriptions, such as excerpts from theoretical texts like The Originality of the Avant-garde by Rosalynd E. Krauss. Each quote addresses a specific issue in contemporary art; the resulting images capture these issues. The images are generated programmatically using the first 150 digits of the number pi as seeds. They are then resized using ON1 Resize AI and adjusted in Capture One Pro, with the prompt added to the resulting image in Affinity design. The final digital negative is output using the PiezoDN technique. Finally, each image is printed on watercolour paper and sometimes toned to achieve the intended tonal scale.

Cyanotype photographs: the process

These images are not mere photographs but a testament to the meticulous artistry of the cyanotype process, which traces its origins back to 1842. A solution of photosensitive iron salts is delicately painted upon watercolour paper. Once dry, a digital negative is carefully sandwiched with the paper and illuminated with ultraviolet light. The resulting blue image is a cyanotype photograph, a unique and captivating art form. For this series the final process is. not. the same for all images. Some are left untoned and, therefore, keep their characteristic blue colour. Others are lightly bleached, either in a solution made from white Aleppo oak gall apples, producing iron grey blacks and reddish grey hues, or a solution from red pine bark, which tints the paper and gives the image a characteristic reddish-brown hue.