My research project 'First Light' focuses on the parallel histories of photography and astronomy since the 19th Century, and explores how the study of light may have contributed to the invention of photography. First Light also explores how the study of light may contribute to our contemporary understanding of the universe and dark matter.
I am fascinated by the fact that light from celestial objects can interact with matter here on Earth, so I am often led to use analogue photography processes within my artwork. I am particularly interested by the notion of proof in science and photography, specifically in the field of aesthetics and astronomy.
In this piece, I was interested in how the materiality of the printmaking process affected the reading of the image. Astronomers often edit their images by adding colours or by cropping, but this is not a well known fact. What happens when an artists intervenes with an astronomical image?
