About the Artist
Dan Hendrickson is a fine arts photographer residing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His work uses the 19th century printing method known as cyanotype to tell stories of futurism, spaceflight, and our place in a theorized multiverse. His use of cyanotype pays homage to the forebearers of the medium, who used it to capture photograms of flora or scenes of bridge building on the Mississippi River in the 1800s. It is because cyanotype has its historic roots in depicting earthy subjects that it now casts visions of the future in a captivating and believable light. It is this new narrative direction for the medium that is the starting place for his work.
Hendrickson is a self taught photographer and cyanotype print maker whose day job is in the space industry, a subject that heavily influences his photography. Pieces from his latest series Cosmologica centering on a fictional space mission have been selected for exhibition by the Three Rivers Art Festival, and the Cultural Center of Cape Cod. His previous color photography has been featured by the Smithsonian Air and Space Magazine, the Verge, and Lui Magazine.
About Cyanotype
Cyanotype is an iron-based photographic printing method that has been historically relegated to obscurity behind more mainstream mediums like silver halide or inkjet. Hendrickson believes this is due in part to misinformed biases held against cyanotype's long-term conservation potential. In fact, cyanotypes made in the 1800s have withstood the test of time when they have been handled with the proper care that should be afforded to any piece of fine art. By mounting cyanotypes in acidic (non-basic) framing, placing them in gallery lighting (ca. 100 lux), and keeping them out of direct sunlight, cyanotypes can last for centuries. Even in cases when cyanotypes have been left in improper lighting conditions, their full tonal range can be restored by exposing the print to air in a dark space. Incredibly, cyanotype could be the only self-restoring medium in existence. Through his work, Hendrickson seeks to have cyanotypes reconsidered as a mainstream medium, rather than a temporary "side-project" diversion.
For further reference:
'A Blueprint for Conserving Cyanotypes', in Topics in Photographic Preservation, 10, 2-18, Brenda Bernier (ed.), (The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, Photographic Materials Group, 2003).