The idea to create large scale star maps first came during the Big Blue Project, in which I developed a large cyanotype map of the stars. This long blue scroll from the Cyanotype coated paper impacted the aesthetic and ideas for the remainder of the PhD project. This and the discovery of the archive of star maps, described in the post about The Giant Pre-Press Camera, sealed the theme for the remainder of the PhD. From this, the main body of work was led into two directions: the sound of the spheres and the LED constellations. Both projects explored the potential of incorporating electronics into print, but the aesthetic felt like it needed more.
The woodcuts were inspired by the ancient star maps of the Uranometria and the astronomical diagrams and resources from the Tartu Observatory. Here you can see images taken from the astronomical archives and journals donated to my place of work, TYPA. There was nothing unique about creating these works; they were entirely made by hand, from the sketches to carving, every stage was devoid of digital manipulation. This was perhaps a reaction to the numerous hours spent in front of a computer, or a need to add a human aspect and craft element to the works. It would have been possible to use a lasercutter to create the printing plates, but it felt far more natural to relish in the laborious process of hand-cutting wood.
I tried for a while to print the pieces by hand (and even foot), but this proved to be unsuccessful. Luckily, the Printmaking department at the Estonian Academy of Arts allowed me to kindly use their giant press (I was unable to access the Academy in Wroclaw due to Covid travel restrictions).
I printed the final works on a super fine Awagami tissue paper, which would let the light of the LEDs shine through. I am honestly really happy with how they came out.
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