The Heavenly Realm Of Selene

Inspiration
This artwork was by Selene, the Titan goddess of the moon, a symbol of the glorious night, the proverbial light in the darkness.

As the patron of femininity, she was known to have the power to ease childbirth, to inspire love, to mask reality, and to pierce illusion. Mythology also states that she has powers surrounding dreams and intuition, harnessing the ability to awaken and to catalyse psychic visions.

Waxing and waning and reborn with each new month, the Moon has always been the supreme symbol of cyclical change in the western world. Selene represents constant change, a personification of life’s constant changes, a goddess whose presence is felt when the moon is full.  In the triple phase of womanhood, Selene is the fruitful mother at the Full Moon who stands proudly between the maiden Artemis at the Waxing Moon and the crone Hecate at the Waning Moon.  

Technique
The Heavenly Realm Of Selene was created by constructing a hand-cut collage using female photographic portraiture, photographs and glass plate negatives of the moon and clouds and illustrations of elements of flowing water and wind.

After coating the handmade paper with light-sensitive chemistry, it is left to dry in a dark room. The large scale negatives are contact printed onto the paper by exposing to daylight (UV rays). The prints are then processed by thoroughly washing in water to remove any unexposed solution. They are hung to dry, developing to full density Prussian blue after 24 hours before hand finishing with 24-carat gold leaf paper cut layers are collaged to create the multi dimensional sculptural artwork.

Dimensions
Unframed:  
Framed:     495mm x 1150mm x 55mm (Depth)

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.