Christine den Hartogh
Natural mark making and botanical printing, mixed media, printmaking, photography
Christine is a Dutch documentary photographer and photojournalist who came to New Zealand in 2016. Although photography will make an appearance again in her work in the near future, she is currently exploring botanical printing in different forms and techniques, moving between eco printing, printmaking, photographic techniques and mixed media. Christine studied art at the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam, media at Open Studios Amsterdam and photography at the Academy for Photography Amsterdam, specialising in documentary photography and photojournalism. www.ChrissiesEye.com www.kohanga.art www.facebook.com/artdecoMangawhai/ |
In August 2019 Chris was one of seven Mangawhai printmakers in "Seven Impressions" at Mangawhai Artists Gallery.
Her artist statement is below.
Her artist statement is below.
"This year’s challenge paved the way for me to expand my previously gained knowledge of botanical printing into different ways of capturing the beauty of nature.
A photographer at heart, I enjoyed working towards blending photographic and printmaking techniques with my love for working with natural materials. The series is inspired by the work of Anna Atkins (1799 – 1871), an English botanist. Anna created a series of cyanotype limited-edition books in 1843 (Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions) that documented ferns and other plant life from her extensive seaweed collection, by placing specimens directly onto coated paper and allowing the action of light to create a silhouette effect, thus creating the print.
With the works in this exhibition, I have given a more contemporary edge to the printmaking Anna did in her time.
After exposure to the sun, the emerging prints were photographed. As the original work keeps oxidizing and changing colours (because I do not wash them), they have to be “caught” with the camera at the right moment. These are then printed on 100% cotton rag, museum grade, acid free paper, 315 g/m2."
A photographer at heart, I enjoyed working towards blending photographic and printmaking techniques with my love for working with natural materials. The series is inspired by the work of Anna Atkins (1799 – 1871), an English botanist. Anna created a series of cyanotype limited-edition books in 1843 (Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions) that documented ferns and other plant life from her extensive seaweed collection, by placing specimens directly onto coated paper and allowing the action of light to create a silhouette effect, thus creating the print.
With the works in this exhibition, I have given a more contemporary edge to the printmaking Anna did in her time.
After exposure to the sun, the emerging prints were photographed. As the original work keeps oxidizing and changing colours (because I do not wash them), they have to be “caught” with the camera at the right moment. These are then printed on 100% cotton rag, museum grade, acid free paper, 315 g/m2."