ENDURING WINTER (ODE TO SYLVIA)

Inspiration
This artwork was inspired by Sylvia Plath, a great American poet, novelist, and short-story writer.

In the autumn of 1962, only four months before her death the following February, Sylvia Plath wrote this cluster of extraordinary poems about Bees. The bee poems portray the poet briefly freed from her bell jar, her eye of the tornado. Chronicling the care and nurturing of a hive and its residents, it shows Plath at her most grounded.

Technique
Enduring Winter (Ode To Sylvia) was created by constructing a hand-cut collage using female photographic portraiture combined with photograms of pressed linaria blossom stems and preserved bees.

After coating the handmade paper with light-sensitive chemistry, it is left to dry in a dark room. The large scale negative is then contact printed onto the paper by exposing to daylight (UV rays). The print is then processed by thoroughly washing in water to remove any unexposed solution. It can then be hung to dry, developing to full density Prussian blue after 24 hours.

Dimensions
Unframed:  300mm diameter
Framed:      385mm diameter x 30mm depth x 18mm face

Paper
Handmade recycled cotton rag paper: 
320gsm / 100% Cotton Rag / Recycled / Acid Free / PH Neutral / Medium Rough

Mount
We use float mounting for all of our framed cyanotypes. The artwork floats above a snow-white mount board, showcasing the paper texture and deckled edging.

Framing
Framed artwork will arrive ready to hang.

Each frame is handmade by our London based design team. They prime and sand the wooden frame before spraying black or white soft-sheen paint to achieve the highest quality finish. All frames come with gallery spec, 3mm thick anti-reflective/ UV glazing as standard. 

If you would like a bespoke frame, please get in touch to discuss alternative colours, gilding and glazing options.