BlueaShiftingHorizon VirginiaMacKenny Blue,darkly,deeply,beautifullyblue1RobertSouthey(17741843)PoetLaureate

Blueplanet,bluetooth,BigBlue,blueskythinking,bluescreen,bluemovies thelistislongsolongthatwhenAnnieMollardDesfour,alinguistwiththe FrenchnationalresearchagencyandpresidentoftheFrenchCentreofColourin ParisproducedaDictionnairedesMotsetExpressionsdeCouleur(Dictionaryof WordsandExpressionsofColour)thefirstvolumewasLeBleu(Blue)(1998). ReinforcingtheimportanceofthecolourarecenteditionofNewScientist(Sept 2009),dedicatedtotheoriginsofthings,includedbluenotonce,buttwice.No mentionofanyothercolouroccursintheissue.OnWikipediaspageonpigment (allpigments)blueisthecolourtheychoosetorepresentonthepage.

1FromRobertSoutheysepicpoemMadocinWales.Parti.5

 Thispaperexploresthecontinuing fascinationthatartistshavewiththe colourBlue.Initiallyoneofthemost expensivecolourstoproduce (ultramarinebluewasgroundfrom purelapislazuli2minedinthe BadakshanregionofAfghanistan3and oncecostevenmorethanitsweightin gold4)itonlyadornedareasofgreat symbolicimportancesuchasthe VirginscloakandTutankhamunsdeath mask.Yetwiththeinventionof syntheticequivalentsinthenineteenth centuryandthesubsequentdropin costsofproduction5ithasnotlostits allure. 2Lapislazuliliterallybluestone.

3Lapislazuliisararemineral.LongonlyfoundintheBadakshanregionofAfghanistanmines

werelateralsoestablishedinChileandmorerecentlysmallerdepositshavebeenfoundin Burma,ColoradoandSiberia.GiventhatthecolourwasoriginallyimportedtoEuropeitwas termed,intheLatin,AzurrumUltramarinumor,intheItalian,ultramarinoazzuro,meaning'blue frombeyondthesea'. 4Sometimesknownasbluegoldlapislazuliwasexpensivewasnotonlyduetoitssemiprecious mineralstatusandtheminingandimportationcosts,butalsotoitslabourintensive manufacture.Mostpigmentsareground,butifyousimplygrindlapislazuliitlosescolour becominggreybecauseoftheimpuritiesitcontains.Methodsofmaintainingastrongbluewere describedintheEastinthe9thcentury,butwereonlyrefinedinthewestinthe12thcentury.To cleartheimpuritiesthegroundlapislazulineededtobemixedwithmeltedwax,resinsandoils, wrappedinacloth,thenkneadedunderasolutionoflye:thefineparticlesofultramarinewere thencollectedinaholdingvesselwhiletheretainedresidueheldashandcolourlesscrystals. CenninoCenninigivesadetaileddescriptionofthetimeconsumingprocess(Ball2003:23738). TodaythecheapestlapislazulithatIcouldsourceontheinternetwasa100gmsamplerbottleof lapislazulibluepigmentonspecialcosting$87.29(normalsalepriceof$126).Atthecurrent rateofexchange(21.3.2010)thesalepriceis64.53or637.21ZAR.A20mltubeofRublev NaturalPigmentsLazuriteis$29.50(21.80or215.35ZAR).TheWinsorandNewtonsynthetic UltramarineequivalentintheirtopArtistsOilColourrangelistpriceinthe37mltubeis8.95 (9.9or98.13ZAR)ieaboutaquarteroftheprice. 5In1824acompetitionwaslaunchedbytheFrenchSocietyfortheEncouragementofNational Industrytostimulatethediscoveryofaneconomicallyviable,synthethicequivalenttoreal ultramarine.AprizeofsixthousandFrenchfrancswastobeawardedtoanyonewhocouldmake analternativefor300francsapound(thegoingpriceatthetimeforrealultramarinewas betweentwotothreethousandfrancsperpoundapricethatlaterwentuptofourthousand francsperpound).Goethehadfirstnotedaclueastohowthissubstancemightbeproducedin 1787.Hedescribedhowglassymassesofabluematerialfoundatthemouthoflimekilnsnear Palermowereusedlocallyasanornamentalsubstituteforlapis(Ball2001:245).Fortyyears later,afterobservingasimilarresidueatthemouthofglassfurnaces,FrenchmanJeanBaptiste Guimetmadeasyntheticultramarinebyheatingcoal,sulphur,sodaandchinaclay.His componentswereallcheapcommonplacesubstancesandhiscolourcost400francsapound. DespitehisdiscoverybeingcontestedbytheGermanChristianGmelin(Ball2001:245)hewas awardedtheprizein1828andthenameofthecolourremainstothisdayFrenchUltramarine.

Itscontinuingimportanceintheworkof artistsinthelastfiftyyearsorsoisattestedto byYvesKlein6sinventionofInternational KleinBlue7in19578.KnownasIKBthecolour iscomprisedmainlyofanultramarine pigmentsuspendedinaclearsyntheticresin therebycloselyapproximatingthelookofthe colourinitspowderform.Theimportanceof IKBisthusnotthatitisanewcolour,because itischemicallythesameasultramarine,but thatitsformensuresmaximumchromatic intensity.Thatthecolourisparticularlyintenseiscorroboratedbyanoteon WikipediathatstatesthatIKBisoutsidethegamutofcomputerdisplaysandcan thereforenotbeaccuratelyportrayedontheweb9. ThedifficultyofrepresentingthecolourisintegraltoKleinsintentiontoutilise itasavehicletoconveyimmaterialityandspace.In1947hebeganaseriesof monochromesthatusedthecolourblueexclusively10.Hedescribedtheworkas embodyingblueinitself,disengagedfromallfunctionaljustification11and likenedhismonochromepaintingtoan"openwindowtofreedom"12.Thisopen spacethatKleinperceivedinbluewasonethatheequatedwiththevoid,a themethatheexploresinanumberofincarnations,themostfamousofwhich

6YvesKlein(19281962)oftendescribedasaFrenchconceptualartist.

In 1955 Klein started worked with a Parisian chemical manufacturer retailer of artists materials named Edouard Adam exploringtheusesofanewsyntheticfixativeresincalledRhodopasM60A. Thiscouldbethinnedtoactasabinderwithoutimpairingthechromaticstrengthofthepigment andgavethepaintsurfaceamatt,velvetytexture.(Ball2001:15).KleinregisteredIKBin1960at theInstitutNationaldelaPropritindustrielle[NationalInstituteofIndustrialProperty],inthe formofanenveloppeSoleau(asimplerandlessonerousprocedurethanapatentapplication) (http://www.centrepompidou.fr/education/ressources/ENSkleinEN/ENSkleinEN.htm#bleu). 8InterestinglyanotherFrenchartist,JacquesMajorelle(1886-1962).,alsoinventedand trademarkedablueatthistimeMajorelleBlue,acolourderivedfromtheblueusedbythe BerbersinMoroccoseefurtherinformationinfootnote17. 9Thisinformationonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Klein_Blueincludesanimage ofthecolourultramarineforavisualreferencetoIKB,describingitasafairimpressionor approximationofthecolour.Interestinglythereisawebsiteentirelydedicatedtothecolour http://www.internationalkleinblue.com/.Thissitepresentsaplainbluescreenpagewith nothingelseonittorepresentthecolour.Thesitesexistenceanditscreationwouldseemto indicatethatsomeseemtothinkthecolourcanbereproducedthroughthismethod.Howeverin thiswritersopinion,havingseenIKBintherealitdoesnotseemanaccuraterepresentationand appearsasgreenerthanultramarine.Forthoseinterested,accordingtowikipedia,thecolourco ordinatesforInternationalKleinBlueare:Hextriplet#002FA7RGBB(r,g,b)(0,47,167)HSV(h, s,v)(223,100%,65%)B:Normalizedto[0255]. 10 His two other colour interests that developedlaterweregoldandahighpitchedcerisepink.As heconfidedtoPierreRestanyduringaninterviewinApril1961,Fireisblue,goldandpink,too. Theyarethethreebasiccoloursinmonochromepaintingand,forme,itisauniversal explanatoryprincipleoftheworldhttp://www.centrepompidou.fr/education/ressources/ENS kleinEN/ENSkleinEN.htm#bleu 11http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?workid=8143 12http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?object_id=80103

washisSautDansLeVide[LeapintotheVoid] (1960)whichisrepresentedbyamodified photographofKleinflinginghimselfoffa wall13. Alessspectacularofferingearlierin1958 wasaworkwithasomewhatlongwindedtitle TheSpecialisationOfSensibilityInTheRaw MaterialStateIntoStabilisedPictorial Sensibility14thatKleinexhibitedattheGalerieIrisClertinParis.HereKlein exhibitedthegalleryspaceitself,asempty,butimpregnated15withblue.Thishe achievedbypaintingpartsofthegalleryexteriorinblueandtintingthedisplay windowblue.Hesupplementedthiswithblueinvitations,abluecurtainonentry andcocktailstintedwithmethyleneblueonopeningnight16. WhileKleinstronglyassociatedthecolourwithwhiteandlightAnishKapoor, knownforhissculpturalformscoatedinpurepigment,associatesthecolour withanabsenceoflight.ObservinginadiscussionwithcuratorMarcelloDantas, thathehasmadelotofworkwithblackandbluehenotesthathisemphasisin thisregardisparticularlyonblue,becauseblueisacolourthatmuchmore deeplyrevealsdarknessthan doesblack(Kapoor20067). HoweverwhileKapoor approachesbluefromtheother endofthescaleasitwerefrom Klein,likeKlein,heisalso interestedintheimmaterial.In thesameinterviewhenotesthat the historyofsculptureisthe historyofmaterial,frombone,to stone,tobronze[but]Iam interestedinthatpartof material,whichisnotmaterial becauseitseemstomethat equivalentwitheveryhistoryof material,thereisahistoryof immaterial(Kapoor20067).
KapoorInSearchoftheMountain(1984)

13WhilethephotographismanipulatedKleindidindeedjump,butintoastretchedtarpaulin

whichhasbeenremovedfromthephotograph.Theimagewaspresentedinafakeissueofthe JournalduDimanchededicatedtohisexplorationofthevoid,on27November1960. 14Laspcialisationdelasensibilitltatmatirepremireensensibilitpicturalestabilise1958 15Kleinutilisedthetermimpregnationtoindicateanoperationthatconfersanartisticqualityto matter. 16 http://www.centrepompidou.fr/education/ressources/ENSkleinEN/ENSkleinEN.htm#bleu

IllustratinghisconcernsKapoorrelatestheChristianstoryofStThomassneed totouchChristswoundafterhearisesfromthedeadtoaffirmwhathesees. ChristsresponsetoMaryMagdalenewhenshereachesouttohimonseeinghim aftertheresurrectionisNolimetangere(donottouchme)17,anothermoment whichrevealsforKapoor,thatmuchofdealingwiththenonmaterialisabout thisconfusionbetweenthehandandtheeye,whenthethingthatyoulookat isuncertain,yourbodydemandsakindofreadjustment,itdemandscertainty. ForKapoorbluecanassistingeneratinganequivalentforthissensation, creatinganecessaryuncertaintyfor,fromaphenomenologicalpointofview, youreyescan'tquitefocusonblue(Kapoor20067).

CaravaggioDoubtingThomas(160203)

FraAngelicoNoliMeTangere(14401)

KapoorBlueBloodSolid(2006)

Bluesabilitytoproduceasensationofspatialdimensionandhenceasenseof theungraspableispossiblywhatencouragedThaiartistSakarinKrueOnto chooseblueastheonlycolourforoneofhisworksonDocumenta12,2007. BetterknownforhisconstructionofaseriesofriceterracesoutsidetheSchloss WilhelmshheinKasselKrueOnalsocontributedNangFa(Angels),asmaller, morediscreteworkthatranfloortoceilinginoneofthestairwellsupontoa landingspaceintheNeueGalerie.Coatingthewallsinbluepainthelightly

17ThisisanincidentoftenrepresentedinChristianpainting.Someofthemorefamousrenditions

includeGiottosfrescoNolimeTangere(1305)intheArenaChapel,Padua;FraAngelicosinCell 1,ConventofSanMarco,Florence(14401)andTitiansoilpaintingofthesamesubjectof1511 12.

decorateditssurfacewithimagesstippledinwhiteclaypowder.AsKleinhad donehealsotintedtheglassofthewindowsonthelandingthuscolouringthe lightinthespaceblue.BlueisassociatedinBuddhistsymbologywithhealing andtheMedicineBuddha,butitalsopointstothelimitlessandfreedomfrom earthlyconstraintanddesire.

SakarinKrueNangFa(Angels)(2007)

Whileintheaforementionedworksuchafreedomisseenaspurelyspiritualthe politicalandideologicalvocabularyoffreedomispresentinSpeakersCorner (2009)aworkbyMoroccanartist18LatifaEchakhch.LikeKlein,Echakhchuses blue(andwhite)astheexclusivecolour/sinthisworkwithitstwocomponent installationsForEachStencilaRevolution(2007)andFantasia(2008). WhileFantasiacomprisesawhiteroomwithemptyflagpolesprojectingfromthe wallsandacardboardboxinthemiddleoftheroomreminiscentofthosea speakeratHydeParkcornermightstandupon,inForEachStencilaRevolution theroomisdominatedbyblue.ThewallsarecoveredinA4sheetsofcarbon papersoakedwithmethylatedalcoholthatreleasesthecolourfromthepaper. Echakhchallowsittorundown thewallsandontotheground whereitliesindarkpools surroundedbyscatteredburnt tyres.Evokingtheaftermathof streetriotsandrevolutionary protestthisisthewreckageof idealism.

coveredinavibrantbluecalled"MajorelleBlue."FrenchartistJacquesMajorelle(18861962) inventedandtrademarkedthecolour,drawinghisinspirationfromBerberburnouses,Moroccan tilesandkasbahs.In1924heconstructedtheMajorellegardeninMarrakech,paintingthegarden walls,fountainsandhishouseinit.AfterMarjorellesdeathintheearlysixtiesthehouseand gardenfellintodisrepair.Recentlydesigner Yves Saint Laurent and partner Pierre Berge restored them both and the property is now open to the public. The "Majorelle Blue" paint is sold the propertys gift shop and in hardware stores in Morocco.
18ThroughoutMarrakeshandothersouthernMoroccancitiesmanywallsandartefactsare

LatifaEchakchForEachStencilaRevolution(2007)

Thedarkersideofblueisalsoapparentinanothermodificationofaspacewith thecolourbluetakenbyoneoftheshortlistedartistsforBritainsTurnerPrize 2009,RogerHiorns.Hiorns,inhisworkSeizure,sealedanabandonedandsoon tobedemolishedapartmentnearLondonsElephantandCastleandthensoused itwith90,00019litresofcoppersulphatesolution.Overacoupleofweeksthe temperatureoftheliquiddropped,theflatwasdrainedandbluecrystalsgrewin ashimmeringsurfaceovereveryaspectofitsinterior.Describinghisexperience ofthework,GuardianartcriticAdrianSearlesaidsilveryshardsofcoldlight spangleandwinkandbeckon.Everysurfaceisfurredandinfested;bigblue crystalsdanglelikecubistbatsfromthelightfittings(Searle2009).WhileSearle foundtheexperiencebeautiful,healsofounditunsettlingashisuseoftheword infestedsignals,andhenotedthatfewvisitorsstayedlonginaspacethatwas decidedlyoppressive.

19Reportsdifferontheexactamountofcoppersulphateliquidpumpedintotheflatitvaries

between7000090000litres.

RogerHiornsSeizure(2009)(pumpingcoppersulphateintotheapartment)

Thatsomanycontemporaryartistsuseblueasthesolecolourinaworkis perhapsnoteworthy20andthatsomanyuseittomodifyaspace,insucha mannerthatitsexperientialelementismagnified,significant. Whilenotanexhibitionorobjectassuch,DerekJarmans21twelfthandfinal featurefilmBlue(1993),usedblueasitsonlyvisualcomponent.Releasedjust fourmonthsbeforehisdeathofAIDSrelatedcomplicationsitwasmadewhenhe wasalreadybeginningtogoblind.Consistingofasingle79minutecontinuous shotofsaturatedbluethefilmis,inessence,abluescreen,butnotoneforthe compositingofimages.Whilethefilmremainsblankorempty,itisnotassucha backdrop,butasaturatedvisualexperiencefilledwithvoiceovernarrationthat formsatestamenttoJarmanslife,AIDSandthecolourblue:

20ItismayberivalledonlybytheuseofredinartistsworkKapooragainspringstomindand

MonaHartoum. 21DerekJarman(19421994)wasanEnglishfilmdirector,stagedesigner,artist,andwriter.He directedmanyfilmsthatopenlyengagehomosexualityandreferenceart.Oneofhismostwell knownfilmsisCaravaggiowhileanotherTheLastofEnglandreinterpretsFordMadoxBrowns paintingofthesamename.

Istepintoabluefunk. ThedoctorinSt.Bartholomew'sHospitalthoughthecoulddetectlesionsinmy retinathepupilsdilatedwithbelladonnathetorchshoneintothemwitha terribleblindinglight. Lookleft Lookdown Lookup Lookright Blueflashesinmyeyes. BlueBottlebuzzing Lazydays Theskybluebutterfly Swaysonthecornflower Lostinthewarmth Oftheblueheathaze Singingtheblues Quietandslowly Blueofmyheart Blueofmydreams Slowbluelove Ofdelphiniumdays22 Watchingthefilmbecomesademandingprocessastheretinatiresfrom respondingtotheintensityofasingleconcentratedcolour.Soononesbrain createspulsesofbluescomplementary,orange,whichbegintoflashand interruptthesinglecolourfield.Imagelessandwithnothingfortheeyetohold onto,thefilmbecomesaplaceofinteriorimaginativeprojectionmuchasdoes thenightskywhere,sincetimeimmemorial,peoplehavecreatedpicturesby joiningthedotsasitwere,possiblymakingtheskythebiggestcanvasavailable tous.Thereflectionsonmortalitythatfloodthisfilmreturnus,somewhat circuitously,tothestartofthispaper,whereblueisusedtocolourthemost significantreligiousimages. TheVirginMary,whosebluemantleisfrequentlyadorned withstars23,isalsoknownastheQueenoftheHeavens andStaroftheSea.Sheisoftendepictedasstandingonthe crescentmoonandherassociationwiththeboundless spacesoftheskyandseareinforceherroleas intermediaryintheconversationbetweenthematerialand immaterial.Theconnectionthatbluehaswiththeskyison onelevelclearlyselfevident.Oneonlyhastolookupona cleardayornightforourassociativeconnectionofblue withtheskytobeapparent.Perhapsmoreunexpectedis thefactthatthebirthofthecyanotype,ablue
22Theentirescriptisavailableathttp://www.slowmotionangel.com/Jarman/films.htm.The

utilisationofblueascodinginhomosexualartworkisanareathatmayproverichfor researchers.JasperJohnssprintBentBlue(1971)withitsfocusonaprimarybutelusivecolour mightbeanothercasestudy. 23TheEgyptianscalledlapislazuliskystone.

photographicprocess,camebothliterallyandmetaphorically'outofthe blue'(Ware2004:11)toanastronomer,SirJohnHerschel(17921871),a professionalskygazer.

SirJohnHerschelandthepositiveofhisfatherstelescopesupportinSlough1839

LateracknowledgedasapioneerofcelestialphotographyHerschelhad,in betweenhisexplorationsofthenightskies,beencarryingoutresearchonphoto activechemicalsandthewavetheoryoflight.In1834hetravelledtotheCapeto mapthestarsintheSouthernhemisphere24.WhilstlivinginCapeTownhe workedwithhiswife,Margaret,producing131botanicalillustrationsofCape flora25usingacameralucida26torecordthemaccurately.Deeplyinterestedin thedevelopmentofphotographicprocesshecontinuedexperimentswhilehere andcoinedthetermphotography27in1838,theyearheleftSouthAfrica. HoweverwhilehewasherephotographicresearchcarriedonapaceinEurope andLouisDaguerresuccessfullyprintedhisfirstdaguerreotypein183728and shortlythereafterin1840WilliamHenryTalbotpatentedthecalotype29. Herschelhadalreadydiscoveredsodiumthiosulphatesolutioncouldhelpfix images,informationhesharedwiththetwoinventors,andonhisreturnfrom SouthAfricahecontinuedtoexplorethepossibilitiesofphotography,recording forposterityonasilverbasednegativeoneofthegreatopticalinstrumentsofhis time,hisfathershuge40foottelescope30atSlough(feb101839). hadalreadymappedthestarsofthenorthern hemisphere.Herschelpublishedhisstargazingresultsin'ResultsofAstronomicalObservations made18348attheCapeofGoodHope'(1847).Amongsthisobservationsduringthistimewas thereturnoftheCometHalley. 25CollatedbyBrianWarnerinabook"FloraHerscheliana"publishedin1998byBrenthurst Press,Johannesburg. 26Thecameralucidaisanopticaldeviceinventedin1831thatprojectsanimageofanobject ontoaplanesurfaceallowingtheartisttotracetheoutlinesofit. 27In1834aFrenchBrazilianpainterAntoineHerculeRomualdFlorence(18041879),whohad alsodevelopedaphotographicprocess,referredtoitinFrenchasphotographie,fouryearsbefore HerschelcoinedtheterminEnglish. 28Daguerresfirstprintofastilllifewasprintedin1837,butthefulldemonstrationofhis processwasonlypresentedtothepublicinJanuary1839. 29Thecalotype,unlikethedaguerreotype,allowedformultiplecopiesofanimage. 30Itwasdemolishedshortlyafterthephotographwastakenin1839afterbeingdamagedina storm.
24HisfatherSirWilliamHerschel(17381822)

AschemistandphotographichistorianMikeWarenotesthestandardhistoriesof photographydonotrecordthatanyconnectionwasmadeatthistimebetween thelightsensitivityofferricorganicsalts,andtheknownchemicalpropertiesof Prussianblue,whichhadbeenwellestablishedasanartists'pigmentforovera century.Hepointsouthowever,thattherewasatleastonesuch'pre photographic'observationinthisrespect.Itwasmadein1828,coincidentally thesameyeartheFrenchchemistGuimetdiscoveredFrenchUltramarine.John Mercer(17911866),aManchestercolourchemistandcalicodyer,notedthe formationofPrussianblueoncottonbyalightinducedreaction(Ware 2004:23).Herschelinhisturn,notedtheactionoflightonpotassium ferricyanideasformingPrussianblue31andby1842hehadinventedthe cyanotype,aphotographicprocessthatcreatesacyanblueprint. Thatanastronomershouldhavecomeacrossaprocessforrenderingtheworld inblueseemsapposite.Thenightsky,aplaceofazuredreaming,hasalways servedhumanityassiteofimagemaking.Itisherethatwehavelongmadeour pictures,soughtdirectionandfoundmeaning.Whilethecyanotypewassoon usurpedbyotherphotographicprocessesitpersisted,however,asastapleofthe architectsofficeintheformofablueprint.Theblueprint,now,initsturn, surpassedbynewtechnologies,hasinitself,persisted,albeitinlanguage,as connotingasiteoforiginsandsources. HerschelsdiscoveryofthecyanotypearosebecauseasWareputsithehada preoccupationwiththemediumratherthanthemessageandwasdrivenbya desiretounderstandphotochemicalphenomena,andtoenlistthemastoolsfor probingtheelectromagneticspectrumoutsidethenarrowopticallimitsimposed byhumanvision(Ware2004:11).Theassociationthatbluehaswithaworld beyondoursightpersistsinvariousforms.KathrynSmithutilisesblueas virtuallythesolecolourinherexhibitionInCamera(200709).Onenteringthe gallerythecolourisnotatfirst,however,apparent.Insteadtheexhibitionseems fullonlyofemptypages.Itisnot,ironically,untilthelightsgooutthatthework becomesfullyvisible.Smithsinterestinthe forensic,theinvisibleandthatwhich generallygoesunnoticedfuelsher productionofanexhibitionwithatitlethat referencesboththephotographicandthe private,innerworkingsofthejustice system32.Usingultravioletsensitiveinks invisibletothenakedeye,butvisiblein blacklightSmithsetsupinversionsof 31On 23 April 1842, Herschel made the following entry in his Memoranda: 'Photography.
Photochromy. Non Argentine, Mineral substances (F3/2CP) Smee's Red Ferrocyanate of Potash washed on paper gives it a fine pale green colour. The spectrum thrown on this paper acts slowly but about as fast as on Guiacum When the paper is thrown onto water the impression becomes stronger, loses its Violet ruddiness & turns to a fine prussian blue. A wash of very dilute acid immediately developed a strong blue impression, having the above character. This paper will prove valuable. Try other metallo-cyanates of Bases.' (Ware 2004:25) 32Thelatinincamerameansinprivateandthetermisinvokedwhenajudgehearssensitive evidenceinher/hischambersratherthaninopencourt.

KathrynSmithInCamera(200709)

visibility/invisibility.Usingimagesfromthemedia,mugshotsofboth perpetratorsandvictims,mapsofcrimesitesandphotographicevidenceshe disconcertsourexpectationsofsight,upsettingnotionsofclarityandtruth. Smithssenseofcreatinganexperientialspaceratherthanagalleryofworks (Gray2009)setsthevieweradriftinaseaoflightanddarkwherethe constructionofmeaningiselusive. Formyownpartblueactivatesapaintingssurfaceinawaynoothercolour does.Chromaticallyintenseenoughtoradiateopticallybeyondthecanvas surfaceitalsoseemscapableofproducinganinfinitedepthwithinitssurface. Thisconstantopeningofspaceinalldirectionsisformevertiginous.Isensea lossoflocation,butperhapsasforKapoortheotherpartoftheimmaterialor nonmaterialistheideaoftheimmense.Theimmenseinspiresusall.Eyeswide openifyoulike(Kapoor200607).HementionsthearchetypallyRomantic imageofCasparDavidFriedrich'sthreefiguresstandingontheedgeofthecliff33 bywayofillustration. Blueseemstohavebecome,somewhatinadvertently,afundamentalelementof mypalette.Thiswasnevera consciousintention.Whileachild myfavouritecolourwasalways blue,butthispatanswertothe traditionalquestionseemed inconsequentialandmyearlier palettewasnotassuch,dominated bythecolour.Myfirstreally deliberatebluepaintingonlycame in1994.Itwasmyfirstpaintingpost apartheid.AttempttoGather(1994) isalargishpaintingof170x190cm. Itdepictsanumberofobjectsset againstablueskyandcreates, possibly,asenseofupliftment. Itledtoanumberofpaintingswherebluebecamemoreandmoreprominent. Theskyofthedaybecametheskyatnightandinmymindaplaceofinfinityinto
33ChalkCliffsonRuegen(181819)

whichanythingcouldbethrown.Detachedfromthedictatesofgravitythelaws ofcompositionalorganisationopenupanythingcangoanywhere.Theskyasa fieldofspace,theunlimited,aplaceofimagining,longing.Aplaceofboth darknessandlight.

Nightlight(c.1996)

Blue,whetheritistheblueofthevoidorabluescreenprojectionisalwaysboth infinitelyemptyandendlesslyfull.ImagessuchasFreeFall(2008),Sightlines (2009)andEventHorizonII(2009)attempttoengagesuchnotions.Suspended likePascalinthe1600s,betweenthetwoabyssesofinfinityandnothingness freesonefromthesanctuaryofcertitude.Thusthroughassociationandthe opticalsensationofthecolour,bluereinforcesasenseoffreedomwherefearand faithmightreconfigure.

FreeFall(2008)

EventHorizon(2009)

 Sightlines(2009)

BlueScreenDay(2010)workinprogress

Bibliography Ball,Philip(2003)TheBrightEarthArtandtheInventionofColourUniversityof ChicagoPress,Chicago Buckingham,Matthew(2003)Colors/UltramarineCabinetIssue10Property Spring2003 Gray,Brenden(2007)KathrynSmithattheGoodmanGallery http://www.artthrob.co.za/07oct/reviews/goodman.html Jarman,Derek(1993)Blue http://www.slowmotionangel.com/Jarman/films.htm Kapoor,Anish(20062007)AscensioninterviewwithMarcelloDantasinRiode Janeiro/SanPaulo,Brazil http://www.anishkapoor.com/writing/brazilinterview.htm Searle,Adrian(2008)DontForgetYourWellies http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2008/sep/04/art Ware,Mike(1999,reprinted2004)Cyanotype:theHistory,ScienceandArtof PhotographicPrintinginPrussianBlueCromwellPressNationalMuseum Photography,FilmandTelevision Ware,Mike(2004)JohnHerschel'sCyanotype:InventionorDiscovery? http://www.mikeware.co.uk/mikeware/John_Herschel.html