The Antoine Hunt exhibition of cyanotype prints in the atrium of Terceira Quarterly is elegant in its unity and simplicity. Additionally, the bright, simple space of the exhibition room is an appropriate environment for this kind of art.

The subjects for this exhibition are natural specimens, such as shells and plants, with the addition of one landscape and a seascape. All the works are about the same size and all are that characteristic blue of the cyanotype.

For this show Antoine Hunt continues his exploration of recording the visual world through camera-less photography. In this instance, he has used a scanner to record the image, which is then transferred to the computer.

Although some of the specimens were very small the artist was able to enlarge them by means of the computer. This show is a fascinating combination of a very old photographic technique, along with that of the latest in computer technology.

The cyanotype was invented by Sir John Herschel in about 1841/1842, just two years after the invention of the Daguerreotype.

Interestingly, Herschel introduced the technique to Anna Atkins, who in 1843, produced the first book to use photographs as illustrations.

In that instance, as a biologist, she was writing about algae and her cyanotypes depicted various specimens of algae.

In this exhibition, Antoine Hunt continues the tradition begun by Atkins of using the process to record the appearance of natural specimens, although Hunt admitted that when he began using the technique, he was unaware of Anna Atkins.

The similarity of use is therefore coincidental.

I have been made to understand that it was this same Sir John Herschel who also coined the terms photography, negative, positive in photography and snapshot.

In case you are not aware where the offices of Terceira Quarterly are located, they are on the second floor above the courtyard in the Walker Arcade in Hamilton.

This exhibition was organised by Select Palette Art. Contact manager Susan A. Pearson via e-mail, SPArt@logic.bm, or telephone, 505-4290.

The exhibition continues through September.