Algae Flux
Algae Flux investigates the biological processes of growth and decay simultaneously. Agar plates are prepared in petri dishes, streaked with bacteria cultures from preserved ocean seaweed. These bacterial growths are then incubated and used as the imaging tool for this series of anthotype and cyanotype prints. For the anthotype prints, an algae chlorophyll extract is made into a pigment to coat the paper for the prints. These prints are then exposed in the sun. When displayed in the gallery, the prints will have continued UV exposure, causing them to fade to nothing over the duration of the exhibition. A series of cyanotype prints made from the bacteria plates serve as evidence of the project's existence. Simultaneously, a new set of agar plates will grow throughout the duration of the exhibition, displaying the full circle of this body of work.