EXTRACTION: IN CONVERSATION WITH ANNA ATKINS — MARIE SMITH

Extraction: In Conversation with Anna Atkins

The Horniman Museum and Gardens owns 4 volumes of Atkins's study of British Algae that were made as cyanotype plates in 1848 (bound as books in 1880’s). Atkins is widely known as being the first female photographer to make a book of photographic illustrations. Alongside her studies on British Algae, Atkins made a study of British and Foreign (Jamaican) Ferns. Only two exist, with one copy residing in Bradford/UK at the National Science and Media Museum, and the other is owned by Getty in Los Angeles/USA. As someone who is of Jamaican heritage; this aspect of Atkin’s history provided me with an understanding of how she was able to finance her artistic practice.

I created the series Extraction: In Conversation with Anna Atkins and this series was made as an outcome of my residency at The Horniman Museum & Gardens (April to September 2023). The cyanotypes were bleached (with sodium carbonate). The cyanotypes are a mixture of photos from the Horniman’s gardens and Nature Trail alongside leaves and plants that I collected on my walks on sire at the Horniman during the residency. Some of the cyanotypes feature transcription of my words from my visit to Horniman’s archive. Bleaching the cyanotypes provides a way for me to process my feelings and interrupt Atkins's work in a way that allows me to have agency. Altering the aesthetics of the cyanotypes provides a mode of commentary that still acknowledges the origins of Atkins and the cyanotype process whilst providing a vehicle for my nuanced approach to her legacy.

I worked with Folium to bind the 33 original cyanotypes into an artist's book with a bespoke box, I was inspired by the book of cyanotypes made by Atkins that is currently in Horniman’s archives. In December 2023, the Horniman Museum and Gardens acquired the artifact which resides in their archive collection.

Extraction: In Conversation with Anna Atkins by Marie Smith

Materials and Processes

Paper: Parallax pre-coated cyanotype paper - 90gsm

Cover: Handmade cyanotype on watercolor paper - 120gsm

Binding: Japanese stab binding with waxed thread by Folium

Printing: Unique Cyanotype prints 8x10”

Book Size: 8x10” / 10x12” box / 33 cyanotypes

Edition Size: 1 unique book

The book is housed in a Box, cloth covered with a tipped-in cyanotype image.

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