Inland Sea

Artist’s Book, Installation,
Cyanotypes exposed in Lake Michigan
2016

Inland Sea is an offset-printed artist's book and corresponding print installation. It contains hundreds of cyanotype prints developed using the water in Lake Michigan to address the complicated relationship between nature and the city. Over a four month period, I coated small square sheets with a UV sensitive solution, placed the sheets in plastic bags, and exposed them in the lake at varying depths and exposure times.

After visiting ten beaches and creating hundreds of cyanotypes, the images were used as source material for an experimental artist's book. An edition of 150 books, including a special edition of 25 books covered with handmade paper, was printed on the Heidelberg GTO offset press at the Center for Book, Paper & Print. Ink color and density were adjusted on press. As a result, each book in the edition is unique. By intervening in the offset printing process, the printed sheets continue to evolve and change, similar to the incessant motion of the Lake itself.