Sargassum Bacciferum
When Portuguese sailors first encountered this particular algae, they named it after a plant that grew in their wells at home: sargaço. Sargassum grows throughout the temperate and tropical oceans of the world. It floats freely on the surface of the water in large groups, which can be miles long. The Sargasso Sea, home to a large population of the algae, is named after it.
Atkins created her cyanotype photograms by placing the specimen onto light-sensitive paper, and then exposing paper and subject to the sun for a period of time. She then developed the image using the cyanotype process, resulting in a rich blue background.
