I wanted to create a moving cyanotype - reminiscent of the early botanical specimens created by Anna Atkins in her 1843 book, "Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions".

This series is in its infancy and is an experimental animation technique. I will be updating this page with more notes and BTS images as it progresses.

Technical Notes:

- Each animation begins as a is a 15 sec continuous video loop at 24 fps. I used Adobe Premiere to create the loop and sequence the video.

- The video loop is exported into single frames. 15 sec @ 24 fps = 360 individual frames.

- All 360 frames are labeled, inverted, and printed as a negative. I used Adobe Lightroom to process the individual frames.

- Each of the 360 negatives were printed using the original 1842 Cyanotype process.

- Each of the 360 Cyanotype prints were then scanned and sequenced back into a 15 sec video loop.

This is an ongoing community-based collaborative project that examines the creation of latinx identity through an experimental form of storytelling. What started out as conversations with friends and family, evolved into a community-based conversation on identity as a social issue and construct. 

The work intertwines handwritten autobiographical texts with ambrotype portraits. Each narrative serves as a layer within the portrait, inviting viewers to look beneath the surface of the portraits physical likeness, and immerse themselves in the intimate stories beneath. These Ambrotype portraits interact with the environment, and change from negative to positive depending on the angle of view and the background. The surface is highly reflective, so a viewer will see themselves in each portrait as they move around the piece.

When the juxtaposition between viewer, subject and background aligns - a deeper understanding of the subject emerges, transcending mere documentation to contextualize individual experiences within broader historical and social contexts.

By facilitating dialogue and reflection, my aim is to foster connections that extend beyond conventional boundaries, nurturing empathy and understanding among those navigating similar intersections of identity.

This project was grant funded through The National Endowment for the Arts and The City of Sacramento. Each print is in direct response to the rich tapestry of stories and histories woven through the act of reconnecting with land and place.

Plants, as enduring symbols of our connection to the earth, serve as the foundation for these prints. Through archival research and dialogue with tribal council members of The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, the work in this collection utilizes techniques grounded in respect and reciprocity with the land. The prints in this collection are crafted using sustainably gathered plant materials and lumen-printed using discarded or expired black and white silver gelatin paper - imbuing the print with a sense of authenticity and rootedness in their surroundings. Then, a low-toxicity homemade saturated salt fixer is used for processing. This series unveils a more holistic perspective of place, inviting viewers to reconsider their connection to the land and the materials that shape our visual experiences.

In this new experimental work, I’m using soundwaves and lightwaves to make images of resonance without using a camera.

Using a chladni plate - which is a rigid plate supported by a post in its center - I sprinkle some sand onto the surface and vibrate it at certain frequencies. Exotic and beautiful patterns appear as the sound pushes through the sand medium. The higher the frequency, the more elaborate the pattern. I then contact print the pattern using the cyanotype printing method.

For making prints of my patterns, I wanted to use Cyanotype, because of its connection with early technical blueprint drawings, and the experimental biological specimen work of Anna Atkins. Cyanotypes are also most sensitive to UV light - which is a waveform that can't be seen with the human eye but can be felt and experienced, Sound can’t be seen but experienced. These are an experiment that connects between what can’t be seen but can be felt.

About Vaudeville

To create each image, I construct and photograph miniature sets. I combine the photographs of these carefully lit sculptures with other photographs of people and life-size props.

The final digital composite is then sent back through time using a combination of cyanotype and gum bichromate printing. Slowly, the once perfect digital image now rematerializes as an imperfect one of a kind object. No two prints are identical, and each edition carries it’s own magic.

I have been fortunate enough to collaborate with an eclectic group of people including special F/X makeup artists, cosplayers, professional beard competitors, and Marky Ramone of the iconic punk band The Ramones. In this portrait series, I combine commercial lighting techniques and playful colors as a way of investigating what makes people be the way they are as I highlight their character and personality.

A selection of collaborative wet plate collodion work.