BHSU Ruddell Gallery Presents “Home – Land” Cyanotype Photography Exhibition by Ashley Jones and Danea Males

Black Hills State University’s Ruddell Gallery is at present that includes “Home – Land,”
an exhibition of handmade cyanotype images by artists Ashley Jones and Danea
Males. The exhibition will likely be on view by means of October 3 with a public reception Thursday,
September 25, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. 

The exhibition is a set of handmade cyanotype images which are direct impressions
of botanical specimens of the native and non-native crops that thrive throughout the
southeastern panorama. Each print serves as a visible dialogue, exploring the intersection
of historical past, ecology, and place. 

Cyanotype is a historic photographic printing method developed in 1842 that entails
coating paper with light-sensitive chemical substances. When uncovered to daylight, the handled
floor reveals a novel blueprint. Early adopters, significantly botanists, discovered
cyanotype invaluable for documenting crops and algae with exceptional precision, typically
favoring its accuracy over hand-drawn illustrations. In the digital age, modern
photographers embrace cyanotype for its aesthetic qualities, and the attract of a home made
print. 

“As transplants to South Carolina, we’re each intrigued by the plants that defines
our new dwelling,” defined Jones. “We started documenting specimens of the area by means of
the cyanotype course of, and this exploration inspired us to revisit our dwelling states
of Florida, Georgia, and Texas to create cyanotype photographs that signify the locations
that we now have beforehand referred to as dwelling. 

Jones and Males are photographers and educators primarily based in Greenville, South Carolina.
Their work has been exhibited nationally at establishments such because the Southeast Center
for Photography, Northern State University, and Lander University. Their collaborative
sequence “Home – Land” was featured by Epiphany Knedler on Lenscratch and revealed
in “Common Ground,” Issue 02 by Borderline Press. 

In addition to the exhibition, the artists will likely be on campus to interact with college students
and the group. A particular Artist Talk will likely be held Friday, September 26 at 1:00
p.m. in Club Buzz, Student Union.  

This exhibition is funded partly by the Metropolitan Arts Council with funds obtained
from the City of Greenville, BMW Manufacturing Company, SEW Eurodrive, and the South
Carolina Arts Commission.