Inklilngs 2024

Adaptation in Stillness Takeo Owens ’24 This artwork honors the resilience of mangroves, the protectors of coastal communities like Miami. The initial photograph was taken on the water at Ransom Everglades. I converted it into a digital negative, which I used to create my cyanotype. After coating Arches Platine paper with cyanotype chemicals via brush, I superimposed the digital negative on top of the chemical coating and exposed it in a UV box. Separate washes of water, acetic acid, and peroxide created the deep blueprint of the third image. After drying, I put my finished cyanotype in a bath of water and madder root powder for an hour which created the red toning effect. The first toned image was scanned 3 weeks after being created, and the final image is the same print scanned another two weeks later. The physical evolution of the image, from a digital image to a physical print in its difwferent forms, helps represent mangroves’ perseverance through change. The print continues to evolve through time, without manipulation, and yet it still comes full circle. Shadows in the cyanotype re-emerged in the toned prints. The salmon-colored paper stain of the final print bears a resemblance to the roots in the initial image. Mangroves, like this piece, adapt in stillness; however, mangroves are in danger from humans who fail to appreciate the sacrifices that mangroves make for them. I hope this piece exposes people to the beauty of mangroves and influences them to push for their conservation.