Suspended in the loggia at Tate St Ives’s entrance are three reproductions of large cyanotypes created on Porthmeor Beach by students from Hayle Academy, Cape Cornwall and St Ives School with Cornwall-based artist Peach Doble.
They gathered found objects on the beach and arranged them – and themselves – over photosensitive fabric. They then used the sun for exposure and the sea to develop the fabric, leaving covered areas white while the rest turned blue. The title references architectural blueprints, the earliest of which were made as cyanotypes in the 19th century. Just as blueprints are used to imagine spaces, the young people have made these works to reimagine Tate St Ives's entrance area.
This is part of the three-year project Create Club. Each year, students have explored what navigating a gallery as a young person can feel like, learning about the artists in our exhibitions and experimenting with different art techniques. This year, the group have been exploring land art, impermanent sculpture and mark making with Doble.
The project is part of our Young People’s Programme at Tate St Ives and is supported by The Mildred Fund. With thanks to students from Hayle Academy: Dylan, Phoebe, Flora, Charlie, Quinn, Louis, Chester, Kaiya, Logan; Cape Cornwall: Mab, Oliver, Grace, Nathan, Alexis, Eliza, Lottie; and St Ives School: Stan, James, Kerris, Olivia, Alex, Erin, Izzy, Sasha, Josie, Kit, Scout, Liliana. Curated by Joe Lyward, Assistant Curator, Young People’s Programme and Jenny Tipton, Curator, Families, Young People and Schools.
