Amelia the Aviatress (Cosmic Skies)

Title | AMELIA THE AVIATRESS (COSMIC SKIES) Type | Original Zinc Leaf Cyanotype
Inspiration | Amelia Earhart
Year | 2024

Materials | Cyanotype, handmade paper, chemically painted, heat treated zinc leaf 15.2in frame diameter x 1.2in frame depth

Inspiration-

This artwork was inspired by pioneering pilot and adventurer extraordinaire Amelia Earhart. Defying gender roles, she built an unorthodox career in a man’s world; she was a compelling force in aviation and women’s rights; diversified her career with lectures, writing, and business ventures.

Earhart dared to be different, an inspiring role model for women and one of the most famous flyers of her day.

Symbolism-

The birds represent flight/ her life as a pilot and the warrior mask made of a hawk symbolises her commitment to fighting for women's rights and gender equality.

Earhart used the fame from her flying endeavours as a platform for her feminism, she espoused feminist beliefs and motioned women to assert themselves in male dominated spaces. She fought continually throughout her career to show the world that she, and, by extension, her gender as a whole, was capable of many accomplishments when given the chance. Earhart encouraged females to follow her lead and take advantage of any chance to better themselves, believing that if women wanted equality, they would have to be assertive. Her passion may have been flying, but her career as a pilot was not just “for the fun of it.” When she was not in the air, she spent the majority of her time reaching out to and encouraging women through her writing and lectures.

Just before she took off for her final flight, she wrote to her husband, “I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others”. Earhart offset her femininity with an inculpable dose of masculinity, balancing her reserve and candor, all of which made her the embodiment of an individualistic feminist and the perfect spokesperson for women. Earhart’s contributions to women’s concepts of personal self and professional life afford her a distinctive place in the history of feminism.

Technique-

Amelia The Aviatress (Cosmic Skies) was created by constructing a hand-cut collage using female photographic portraiture and hand-drawn illustrations of birds.

After coating the handmade paper with light-sensitive chemistry, it is left to dry in a dark room. The large-scale negative is contact printed onto the paper by exposure to daylight (UV rays). The print is

then processed by thoroughly washing in water to remove any unexposed solution. It can then be hung to dry, developing to full density Prussian blue after 24 hours. Once the image is fixed it is hand finished with chemically painted, heat treated zinc leaf, this gives the artwork the bright colourful patenas.

Dimensions

Framed: 15.2in frame diameter x 1.2in frame depth

Paper

Handmade recycled cotton rag paper:
320gsm / 100% Cotton Rag / Recycled / Acid Free / Medium Rough

Mount

We use float mounting for all of our framed cyanotypes. The artwork floats above a snow-white 8001 mount board, to showcase the paper texture and deckled edging.

Framing

Framed artwork will arrive ready to hang. Each frame is handmade by our London based design team.

All frames come with gallery spec, Artglass AR70 / 2mm anti-reflective/ 79% UV protected glazing as standard.

If clients would like a bespoke frame, please let me know as I can have them made in alternative colours, gilding and glazing options.