"We're Moving"
(A Project for Art City 2026)

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 have been interested in this method for my project for Art City because I love the idea of cameraless photography- how it uses the sun to record our shadow.

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.