Artist in the Community 2009

A Cosmopolitan Cosmology is the name I gave to the next phase of the solargraphy project initiated on Sherkin last year. The project revolves around the idea that it is relevant to all people at all times in all places, but most especially those who have a link to Sherkin Island.

It will explore space and time through the process of solargraphy and strengthen relationships between those who live on the Island and those in whom the Island lives (although they may live many miles apart).

The project application was made in association with Sherkin Island Development Society and was awarded a second round of funding by the Arts Council through the Artist in the Community Scheme managed by Create.

I have setup an initial blog for this http://sherkinisland.blogspot.com

Solargraph from Kerry

Margaret Fitzgerald

There are still a few more solargraphs to collect. The one above came from Keel in Co. Kerry - thanks to the collaborators there. It is a really interesting image to look at, as the horizon is repeated twice. This probably happened because the camera was moved during the period of exposure - another happy accident. I haven't got the exact details of the period of exposure and must chase this up.

Last of the Solargraphs from Finland

Michael Stephens 28-09-08 21-12-08

Michael Stephens 28- 09-08 21-12-08

Tara O'Donoghue 28-09-08 21-12-08

These are the last of the unprocessed 35mm film cannisters I sent to Finland. I think the results do warrant the wait. There seems to be more colour in some of the images and this may be down to the use of different scanners - another piece of research for the future.

I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone involved in the project - it was great working with all you pinholers.

Thanks to the Arts Council who funded the project through the Artist in the Community Scheme managed by Create. Katherine Atkinson was a great support there, Tarja Trygg of the University of Art & Design, Helsinki and last but not least Sherkin Island Development Society and their development worker Matthew Stephens.

Solargraphs returned from Finland

Tarja Trygg from the University of Art & Design, Helsinki returned the first batch of solargraphs sent to her after the winter solstice. These solargraphs were taken using plastic 35mm film cannisters and I could sit and look at them for hours.

Maggie O'Reilly 28-09-08 21-12-08

Jo Jefferies 28-09-08 21-12-08

Sherkin Island National School, Senior Class 03-10-08 21-12-08

Sherkin Island National School, Senior Class 03-10-08 21-12-08

Kordula Packard 28-09-08 21-12-08

There are two possible explanations why there are no sun tracks . a) the film cannister was was probably pointing too far north to catch the sun, or b) if it was facing south, it has too much foreground and not enough sky to catch the sun's path.

Sheila O'Sullivan 28-06-08 21-12-08

Sheila O'Sullivan 28-06-08 21-12-08

Sue O'Hanlon 20-06-08 21-12-08

Sherkin Island Solargraphy

We had a great day yesterday and were very excited to finally reveal the solargraphs that had been exposing since late September.

Terry Farnell

Micheal Stephens

Tara O'Donoghue

Conor O'Riordan

Sherkin Island Artist in the Community Workshop 4th January 2009

The last workshop in this series will be held next Sunday. Looking back to last September its hard to believe how much has been achieved in such a short time.

• making pinhole cameras
• learning basic dark room techniques
• printing some great images
  
• setting out solargraph cans
• portraiture session with the old meagher camera

Whats next ? Well, I have already collected and scanned some solargraphs which are really impressive. Next Sunday I hope to scan the rest of them and put them up on the web.

I will collect and send the remaining 35mm film cans to Finland for the Global Map of Solargraphy project.

If people are willing we can turn the dispensary into a darkroom for one last pinhole session.

I am preparing documentation of our work, so we can spend some time selecting favourite images to be included in the photobook.

So a busy day on Sunday and looking forward to it.

Artist in the Community Solstice Solargraphs

Solargraph by Mags Reilly Sherkin Island 28-09-08 - 21-12-08

Solargraph by Jo Jefferies Sherkin Island 28-08-08 -21-12-08

Congratulations Mags & Jo, your solargraph images are really great. I hope you like them too!

Solstice Solargraphy

This solargraph was exposed for 6 months using a film can, It was collected in very wet weather . When I brought it home, I took the paper out of the cannister to dry in the hot press. The changed orientation of the sheet caused the image to slip in the wet surface, almost entirely obscuring the sun track - I am not unhappy with this - the surface is richly textured giving a caustic appearance.

Solstice Solargraphy

Harvest time has come. Even though we are in the middle of winter, my crop is ripe. Six months ago at the Summer Solstice, I put out loads of pinhole cameras. Now today on the Winter solstice, its time to bring them home. These are the initial results and I am really pleased.










This solargraph was taken using a Sharwoods curry can , with the photographic paper wrapped cylindrically around the can. The pinhole was on the cap and laid horizontally about 6ft off the ground. I can't decide which I prefer positive or negative.





This solargraph was taken using a coffee can pinhole camera from Camden Road, Crosshaven facing into Cork Harbour. I probably had it pointing a little far North as there is little evidence of sun tracks.

Solargraphs so far

This is a collection of negative and positive solargraphs in an experimental phase.

Click on the images above to see them enlarged

Global Map of Solargraphy

Tarja Trygg emailed me the images from the film cans I sent to Finland for her Global Map of Solargraphy. I am very pleased with the results. It is quite astounding how much colour is in teh image considering the paper is B&W.





Both images were exposed for the period 20-06-08 to 21-09-08 and despite having the worst Summer in decades - the sun is a constant throughout.





These images have been uploaded to the gallery on the solargraphy.com website

X-ray photography

I am trying to work something out in my head -

I want to print the solargraphs in a way that preserves there delicate luminosity and also in a way that is consistent with my research aims.

I have been thinking about printing to film - ideally the weight and size of an x-ray - so maybe why not an x-ray. Trying to find out information about this type of printing is difficult. Below are the references I have found...so far.





Artist Nick Veasey has a great website and his worked is featured along with other artists in Cult Case an online culture and art magazine that did a special feature on xray photography. The interdisciplinary crossover of Floral Radiography also provides some great images.

Solargraph Baltimore Harbour

This solargraph was taken using a coffee can pinhole camera and Jessops VC paper. It was exposed for the period between 20 - 06- 08 and 02 - 10 - 08. The camera was located at 51 28'91 N 09 22'70 W.






Below is the paper negative. One of the beautiful things about solargraphy is that no chemicals are involved in processing the prints, however, I am concerned about the negatives degrading post exposure.







This is where the pinhole camera was mounted - it is a bit askew as I am leaning over a slipway. You can see that the camera is very well taped to prevent camera movement and to make the camera as water proof as possible. Even still there was still water at the bottom of the can when I brought it home. A few hours in my darkened hot press sorted that out - I am always impressed by the durability of the paper - it seems to stand up to the most terrible abuse.








This is the view from where the camera was positioned - admittedly taken by my phone camera - the difference in panorama is quite astonishing.

The best laid plans...

I had a lovely afternoon at Sherkin national school. The children were marvellous, asking questions and thinking carefully about the complex processes involved and all without the aid of diagrams or photos.

I thought I had covered all eventualities. I had checked with the teacher that the school had an internet connection and data projector - which they did, but I had forgotten about net nanny. Both the blog - with all the information and photos that I had prepared - and the solargarphy website were not allowed to be viewed. Next time I will bring data on a memory stick.

Fortunately, I had brought quite a few cameras with me. An antique bellows camera which I have on loan from Alison Trim, the SLR Pinhole, a standard digital camera and some sample pinhole cameras (coffee cans and film cans) and photographic paper so that the children could actually see and feel the materiasl involved. I also had some images that had been made at the workshop last weekend and a catalogue of Harry Moores work on Cork docklands.

The children enthusiastically selected places for 4 coffee can cameras and two film can cameras to be mounted for a 12 week solargraphy exposure. Fingers crossed now that they are not knocked by footballs and sliotars!

I am looking forard to going back to the school in December as close as I can to the winter solstice.

Sherkin Island Pinhole Images Work in Progress

The community hall on Sherkin Island was a hive of activity yesterday. Eight pinhole enthusiasts turned up and worked hard all day making coffee can cameras, taking photographs and developing negatives in our temporary darkroom. Each and everyone threw themself into the challenge of learning what can be a very tricky process and each and eveyone produced results that were beyond any expectation.

The work was varied in subject matter and the challenge of calculating exposure times was exacerbated by a change in weather conditions. We had bright sunshine yesterday, but today was quite overcast. The photos show familiar territory and faces in a new light.

There were some technical challenges too. I am more comfortable with a PC than a Mac, but we did manage to scan images and produce positives.

There are many more negatives to be scanned - I hope participants can make the technology available through Sherkin Island Development Society work in this regard. If not get back to me.

I will post more images on the blog when I get them.

Solargraphy film and coffee cans were distributed and will be exposed for three months until the winter solstice on December 21st.

Connor O'Riordan

Kordula Packard

Matthew Stephens




Sheelagh Broderick

Anne McConkey

Joe Jefferies

Michael Stevens

Orla Gleeson

Mags Reilly

Sherkin Island Artist in the Community Workshop

Today we are going to dive in to the world of pinhole photography.

We will each make a pinhole camera from a coffee can, make exposures and develop negatives. The negatives will be scanned into the computer and then the image inverted to make a positive.

Each participant will receive a pinhole film can which will be exposed for 3 months approximately, before being sent to Finland in a solargraphy project.

The following links demonstrate the concept and application of pinhole photography.

a bit of theory first;

Camera Obscura

Diagram

How does a pinhole camera work?

Pinhole Artists

Gabriel Lacomba

Peggy Ann Jones

Harry Moore

Vera Lutter

Ronnie Close

Ollipekka Kangas

Global Map of Solargraphy

As part of this project we will be using the technique of Solargraphy

to capture images over an extended period of time. These images will then be sent to Finland to be part of a project mapping suntracks worldwide in global map of solargraphy in association with Tarja Trygg of the University of Helsinki.

Have Fun!

Solargraphy

Remember when you were a child and you thrilled with anticipation? Parents returning home, chocolate at Easter and presents at Christmas were all part of my childhood anticipations, but as an adult I had lost this ability to enjoy this feeling.

This weekend I was really excited - after three months I retrieved some of my pinhole film cans that I have secreted around about where I live. These cans were left out on the Summer solstice and were exposing through to the Autumn equinox.

I had done some shorter exposures over 10 days earlier in the Summer, but these really capture the track of the sun. Now I have the Winter solstice to anticipate a further crop of solargraphs.

I am sending some of the cans back to Finland to participate in a global map of solargraphy being coordinated by Tarja Trygg. It is a great project with some fantastic images.

Solargraphy

I have just put the header photo on the blog. It is one of my early solargraphs, a technique which will be discussed much further here, but for tonight I will just post another solargraph. Checkout www.solargraphy.com if you just can't wait for more.