In Greek mythology, Kyane (or Cyane) was a naiad, a freshwater nymph. She was turned to liquid by Hades after attempting to prevent his abduction of Persephone and dwelled in a river bearing her name in Sicily. Kyanos in Classical Greek meant “blue-green,” alluding to the water of lakes and streams.
In the mid-19th Century, English scientist John Herschel discovered a photographic printing process that produces a cyan-blue print. The process uses two chemicals: ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide. Engineers refer to the result simply as a blueprint. Artists, honoring its mythical blue, call it a cyanotype.
This exhibition, curated by Bruce Brown, celebrates cyanotypes through the work of nine artists (coincidentally, the number of muses in Greek mythology).