‘Not a Knowledge at All’ is an enthralling collection of generated cyanotype photographs characterized by distinct blue tones or toned to reveal different shades of grey. These artworks reflect the visual interpretations of the philosophical concepts presented in Jacques Derrida’s ‘Of Grammatology.’ Each piece showcases intriguing, atmospheric compositions, incorporating recurring motifs like luminous panels, windows, and intricate patterns. Each series of twelve images is based on different versions using the same seed or base image.
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.
Editions & folios for sale
The artwork is offered for sale in the following formats:
- 28 x 28 cm single image edition, limited to 16 copies: Priced at kr. 30,000 (roughly $215) each.
- 56 x 56 cm single-image edition, limited to 12 copies: Priced at kr. 90,000 (roughly $645) each.
- A 28 x 28 cm box set folio edition of all 144 images, limited to 8 copies: Priced at kr. 3,500,000 (roughly $25,000) each.
- A 56 x 56 cm box set folio edition of all 144 images, limited to 4 copies, is Priced at kr. 10,000,000 (roughly $75,000) 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.
