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From Shadow to Light
From Shadow to Light
After numerous renderings in various locations and in different shapes and forms to obtain permits, I decided to change my approach. Instead of using shades that create shadows, I opted for a light box that produces light. I found it intriguing to think about using shadows as a means to illuminate objects.
The sculpture was installed on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at Liberty Square Park in New Brunswick. The same location where we made our cyanotypes.
Here is a little description:
What lies in your shadowy past? It is only natural to suppress memories that conflict with who we are today, just as our public monuments often overlook the darker chapters of our collective history. Rarely do we see statues that confront these uncomfortable truths. Instead, what if we used those shadows to illuminate an aspirational vision for our shared future? The images presented in this sculpture were made by community participants in Liberty Square Park during our cyanotype workshop, "Shadow Portraits: Drawing with Shadows," in August 2026.
Images Made by Community Workshop Participants
Images Made by Community Workshop Participants
By Surabhi Karambelkar
By Sean & Matias Salmon
By Doris Caçoilo & Lucio Salmon
By Emily
By Elaine Hansen
By Olivia Jager
Shadow Portraits: Drawing with Shadows
Shadow Portraits: Drawing with Shadows
Cyanotype Workshop was held on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at 12 pm, at Liberty Square Park in New Brunswick
I presented a slideshow detailing the history and use of cyanotypes and the city's involvement in both slavery and the Underground Railroad, then invited the community to respond.
Prompt: What’s in your shadowy past?
Can you tell me a story about a time in your life when you felt completely stuck and helpless, but then someone or something came along to help you move forward? There is a catch: you have to tell it through an image, shadows to be specific.
Shadows hold deep meaning for me. They can represent someone who is always there for you, or a haunting memory that keeps coming back, no matter how hard you try to get rid of it. How do you interpret them? For your storytelling, please bring an important object or folk(s) with you. We’ll create images using your meaningful objects and our bodies.
Community Workshop Call to Join
Community Workshop Call to Join
"We will gather at coLAB (9 Bayard St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901), then walk across the street to Liberty Square Park to make the cyanotypes. Each one takes about 15 minutes. Please wear sunscreen and something comfortable. 15 minutes can feel quite long in the sun.
Bring something or someone important to you, and we will create images using our meaningful objects and bodies. It works best to bring objects bigger than 12x12".
Email to RSVP: jungjinwon@gmail.com"
Why cyanotypes?
Why cyanotypes?
I want to use materials and methods that evoke a sense of ghosts.
Cyanotypes are created using shadows; any surface exposed to sunlight will turn blue, while areas covered by contact will remain white.
This method of image-making is significant for addressing aspects of our history that are often overlooked and forgotten.
It allows us to bring light to stories that have been hidden under the rug.
artist's cyanotype on paper
This was my first-ever cyanotype made in June 2026 as a test. As you can see, it is a pretty easy process.
Step 1 Make exposures in sunlight (1-30 minutes, depending on conditions) or under a UV light source, placing objects or a film negative on the coated surface to create an image. (Note: Over-exposure is almost always preferred to under-exposure.) The fabric will look bronze in color once fully exposed.
Step 2 Process prints in a tray or bucket of cool water. Wash for at least 5 minutes, changing the water periodically, until the water runs clear. Do not use soap. With wetting, the print will change from a bronze to blue color. To instantly process prints to the final deep blue color, submerge washed prints in a dilute solution of hydrogen peroxide, then rinse.
Step 3 Air-dry the prints on a clean clothesline or on newsprint or blotting paper. If peroxide was not used in step 2, prints will slowly oxidize to their final, deep blue color over the course of about 24 hours. link
I love the idea of cameraless photography- how it uses the sun to record our shadow.
Visual Concept: Our Shadows
Visual Concept: Our Shadows
Although the initial site idea was ultimately not chosen, it inspired a visual metaphor for my research into our shadowy past. I am continuing to explore this inquiry into learning from our shadows and have created numerous renderings to rethink the concept of shadows through the use of physical shades.
Throughout all the changes in sites and materials, my instinct to use the cyanotype process for creating images has remained consistent.
Initial Site Idea: Underpasses
Initial Site Idea: Underpasses
One architectural element along the project route that reminded me of someone being pulled back from their destination was the presence of underpasses.
Large infrastructures, such as railways and highways, often cut through urban areas, fragmenting walkability and connectivity. This situation evokes the concept of being on the "right" or "wrong" side of the tracks.
The Amtrak underpasses at Bayard and Paterson Streets separate the Esperanza Neighborhood and the French Street area from the City Center. As pedestrians pass through, they often experience a stark black line on the ground. The harshness of its shadow serves as a reminder of the invisible boundaries defined by money and investment.
I want to change the shape of the shadow.
Local History Research
Local History Research
New Brunswick's complicated history inspired me. It was a place that stopped people (see Lost Souls Public Memorial Project), but it also served as a refuge for people escaping to safety.
Conductors on the Underground Railroad worked with a spy named Cornelius Cornell, who lived near New Brunswick. He would signal when it was safe to cross the river. Freedom seekers could then head to Jersey City along the Hudson River and ferry to New York.
The most heartbreaking stories from my research were about the people who were kidnapped during the turmoil following the enactment of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.
New Brunswick, known for its significance as a stop on the Underground Railroad along the Raritan River, eventually became a hub for slave hunters. Unfortunately, it played a substantial role in capturing and returning runaway and freed Black people to the South, where they were sold back into slavery.
One of the posters from Boston at that time warns of the kidnappers, as seen here. The language used in the poster remains too familiar in 2026, as we grapple with the chaos of immigration enforcement efforts in this country.
First inspirations about New Brunswick were presented with a crankie box during our open studios in May.
In April, we moved into our studios at 7 Kirkpatrick Street in New Brunswick, NJ for the Art City / CoLAB residency.
In April, we moved into our studios at 7 Kirkpatrick Street in New Brunswick, NJ for the Art City / CoLAB residency.
Art City is a project of coLAB Arts. Art City is supported by funding through the NJEDA’s A.R.T. – Phase II Grant Program
© JIN JUNG unless noted otherwise
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