Cyanotypes by Martin E. Sullivan on display in North Charleston

Works by local artist Martin E. Sullivan in the display windows of The Meeting Place from January 2 through February 28, 2013, as part of The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department's efforts.

There will be a free reception hosted by the artist on Friday, January 11, from 6 to 8 p.m.

In Cyanotypes: Old, New Photography, Sullivan presents a collection of images of objects and people from around the Lowcountry, captured with both digital and film cameras and transformed into custom prints using the cyanotype process.  The cyanotype process is an old printing format, historically used to create blueprints, where rag paper is treated with a photosensitive liquid and allowed to dry.  A contact negative is then placed on the paper and set in the sun to process.  Once the correct contrast is reached, the paper is washed revealing the final printed image.  “The process of creating and printing the image is all designed around invoking emotion in both myself and the viewer,” Sullivan explains. By using the alternative printing process and unusual perspectives or subjects, the artist attempts to force the viewer to interact with the image and put a piece of themselves into the experience.  “The works take longer to bring to a finished product, and are limited in size based on the size of the negatives, but the overall result is worth the effort,” he says. ‘I hope viewers enjoy the look at the present through the processes of the past as much as I have enjoyed making them.”              

The Meeting Place is located at 1077 East Montague Avenue in the revitalized Olde Village area of North Charleston. Parking is free. Display window exhibits offer visitors a continuous opportunity to view artwork by different artists monthly or bimonthly. Inquiries about this exhibition and exhibition opportunities may be directed to the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843) 740-5854 or culturalarts@northcharleston.org.

For information on additional exhibits, programs, and events, visit the Cultural Arts section of the City’s website at http://bit.ly/culturalarts.