Daisy Nicholas

This series consists of large-scale environmental cyanotypes exposed to the environmental effects of short and long-term weathering and erosion along the sheltered, shallow beaches of the Howick/Pakuranga peninsula. These works explore ideas of intimacy with place in junction with locality, the vitality of matter, and our perception that the world is made up of an extensive variety of wavelengths. These ideas are explored through the practice of actively being in the world and observing rather than trying to change the forces around us. They are illustrated through capturing a visual index of short-term energy using UV reactive chemicals, cyanotypes.

These artworks are created using large (1.5M x 1.5M) sturdy pieces of crepe paper saturated in traditional cyanotype solution. To avoid as much anthropic interference as possible, they are simply placed down and then exposed in rock pools, partially submerged in water. Due to the nature of the solution when placed in water, some of it will be washed away before being able to fully process, leaving varying shades of blue. Once removed from the rockpool, the pieces are left to process and are allowed to interact and develop further in response to any new environmental forces they may encounter.