Poppy (Papaver rhoeas) anthotype by Ouico

“Poppy Shroud” by Ouico, Britany, France
Parts used: Petals
Amount: A handful for each print
Extracted by: Mortar
Thinner: Alcohol (vodka)
Application: Brushing

Layers: 3
Substrate: Watercolour paper
Created with: Positive on OHP paper
Exposure: 2.5 days in July, summer 2024
UV strength: 3-4
Temperature: 19-24° Celsius
Humidity: 60-75%
Contrast: ✿✿ (Medium)
Challenges or observations: Half of the petals used in this print had already fallen to the ground but were still fresh. I enjoy working this way when possible, as it helps preserve the plant while still achieving beautiful results.
Additional information: This anthotype is part of my art series ‘EphermerAI’, where I merge AI-generated images with the delicate, fleeting anthotype process. This juxtaposition highlights the contrast between AI’s capacity to generate infinite images and our limited memory capacity. AI creations eventually fade from our consciousness, just as light erases the anthotype print. For this piece, I drew inspiration from the iconography of the Holy Shroud, Christian religious imagery embedding symbols of appearance and disappearance and worked with organic flowers from my friend Noemie Eckert’s eco-farm in Brittany, France. I hold the copyright for the AI-generated images I used as positives – the source images used in AI generation are in the public domain or are my own photographs.
Instagram: @0uico
Website: www.ouico.co