Cosmara – Improvisations in Sunlight

Cyanotype Textiles for LA Metro

Cosmara – Improvisations in Sunlight was commissioned for LA Metro's Culturama Fest. The installation consists of hand-crafted cyanotype textiles that gently billow with each passing breeze. Each textile is created from contact prints of plants gathered during morning walks and printed onto reclaimed thrift-store fabrics, giving discarded textiles a second life and diverting them from the landfill. Experimental chemical additives were used throughout the cyanotype process to produce a rich spectrum of colors, textures, and layered visual effects. Cyanotype is environmentally friendly and non-toxic.

At its heart, Cosmara explores the invisible relationships between sunlight, chemistry, stars, photosynthesis, and life on Earth. The work invites viewers to intuit these connections through deeply layered botanical imagery and chemical textures that evoke cosmic constellations, nebulae, and celestial maps. The same sunlight that powers photosynthesis also initiates the cyanotype reaction, transforming iron salts into vivid blue while preserving the fleeting presence of living plants. In this way, the installation reflects on the shared origins of life and matter, linking the energy of distant stars with the quiet chemistry unfolding in leaves, minerals, and fabric.

Originally developed in the 1840s, cyanotype is among the earliest photographic processes. When exposed to sunlight, iron salts undergo a photochemical reaction that forms deep Prussian blue pigments. The silhouettes of flowers and leaves become permanently embedded within the fabric as contact prints, while carefully selected chemical additives—introduced both before and after exposure—produce a multiplicity of crystalline textures, tonal variations, and subtle color shifts.

The experimental chemistry includes potassium ferricyanide, ferric ammonium citrate, potassium aluminum sulfate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium tetraborate, sodium carbonate, sodium chloride, magnesium sulfate heptahydrate, ferrous sulfate heptahydrate, citric acid, white vinegar, mineral pigments (yellow ochre and phthalo crimson), and a variety of tannins, including a homemade oak gall extract. Particular care was taken to produce lightfast, non-fugitive color variations that remain stable under prolonged UV exposure.

Cosmara was one of two featured art installations at Culturama Fest, presented as part of LA Metro's FIFA World Cup 2026 celebrations. The festival featured DJs, craft vendors, food trucks, monumental puppets, and a wide range of artistic performances and installations. Special thanks to Community Arts Resources and 11:11 Projects for organizing the event and supporting the commission.

Location: LA Metro Orange Line, Reseda CA

Event: Culturama Fest, World Cup Celebration

Date: July 18, 2026