Georg Sedlmeir

Georg Sedlmeir, a Munich-based geographer and photographer, explores alternative printing and DIY camera modifications. Influenced by his background in sustainable development, he embraces cyanotype and gum printing for their tactile, experimental, and eco-friendly nature.
From: Munich, Germany
Shows: Cyanotypes and Gum prints

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Georg Sedlmeir is a geographer and photographer from Munich, Germany, with close family ties to Wisconsin. Starting in photography in the 1980s with his mother’s Kodak Retinette, he has since developed a particular love for alternative printing processes and DIY camera builds or modifications. His work reflects a minimalist aesthetic that is especially attentive to the delicate and often overlooked beauty of our surroundings. Georg’s professional background in sustainable development informs his photographic perspective of the imprint we leave on nature. In an ever-faster-moving and increasingly digital world, the tactile experience of creating cyanotypes and gum prints allows him to find balance.

A seemingly simple process, cyanotype invites experimentation and makes every step crucial to achieving a satisfying result. The aesthetics are simple yet powerful; you learn something new (often about yourself) with every print, and toning options are plentiful if your print asks for something beyond Prussian blue.

For gum printing, Georg uses Printmaker’s Friend, a bichromate-free pigment/sensitiser combination, as a replacement for traditional gum.

Both processes align with his sustainable approach to printing since they are non-toxic, relatively environmentally friendly and produce beautiful results, though requiring only sensitiser and water.

“My fascination with Alternative Process lies in the interplay of skill, craft, experimentation and also a certain element of chance- yielding uniquely beautiful and intriguing results.”

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