Overpowered by the sun
We intended to produce a series of cyanotype photographs as a low-tech method to document the more-than-human elements shaping the landscape, so we brought a printing kit with us from the Netherlands. As relative beginners with this technique, we diligently followed the instructions provided by the Dutch maker of the kit.
When developing our initial print run, all rinsed papers turned almost solid blue. Almost all of the intricate shapes and textures from the materials we had placed on the photosensitive paper had vanished. The power of the midday sun had fully exposed the entire paper.
Driven by an urge to find out what could have caused this failure, we gave it another try on the following day. This time, the prints turned out perfectly! The secret? Reducing the exposure time to less than 30% of the length indicated in the instructions. The Spanish sun was simply too powerful for Dutch standards.
In places where (natural) clouds are rare and the sun intensity is exceptionally high, mega computing infrastructures are faced with conflicting conditions. While an abundance of sunshine brings with it a significant potential for renewable energy generation through solar or wind power, it also produces tremendous heat and drought, which can make a territory unliveable over time; especially if the already scarce water resources are further exploited to provide vital cooling for overheated computer chips.
Do you ever think of the sun when you are working in the Cloud?
Made possible by the Creative Industries Fund NL
#cyanotype #sunprinting #solarenergy #fieldresearch #creativeresearch #datacenter #snakeoil
