About the Artist
Dan Hendrickson is an artist who uses the 19th-century cyanotype printing process to explore themes of futurism, spaceflight, and our place in a theorized multiverse. His work pays homage to the early practitioners of the medium, who captured photograms of flora and scenes along the Mississippi River in the 1800s. By grounding his work in a process historically tied to the natural world, Hendrickson uses cyanotype to cast evocative visions of the future and the unknown.
About Cyanotype
Cyanotype is an iron-based photographic printing method that has been historically relegated to obscurity behind more mainstream mediums like silver halide or inkjet. Hendrickson believes this is due in part to misinformed biases held against cyanotype's long-term conservation potential. In fact, cyanotypes made in the 1800s have withstood the test of time when they have been handled with the proper care that should be afforded to any piece of fine art. By mounting cyanotypes in acidic (non-basic) framing, placing them in gallery lighting (ca. 100 lux), and keeping them out of direct sunlight, cyanotypes can last for centuries. Even in cases when cyanotypes have been left in improper lighting conditions, their full tonal range can be restored by exposing the print to air in a dark space. Incredibly, cyanotype could be the only self-restoring medium in existence. Through his work, Hendrickson seeks to have cyanotypes reconsidered as a mainstream medium, rather than a temporary "side-project" diversion.
For further reference:
'A Blueprint for Conserving Cyanotypes', in Topics in Photographic Preservation, 10, 2-18, Brenda Bernier (ed.), (The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, Photographic Materials Group, 2003).