Scarborough artist Angela Chalmers chosen to show her work at Edinburgh exhibition
Scarborough artist and author Angela Chalmers has been invited to exhibit her work in Edinburgh as part of a celebration of 200 years of photography.
Based at a darkroom studio in The Crescent, Scarborough, she is known for her work with alternative photographic processes and has served for many years as artist-in-residence at St Martin-on-the-Hill Church. Her blue cyanotype dress, inspired by history, memory, and place, will feature in two exhibitions in Scotland, with the first opening in Edinburgh on June 25.
The exhibition forms part of international celebrations recognising two centuries of photographic practice and innovation.
Angela's inclusion highlights the continuing relevance of historic photographic processes and the contribution of artists working outside conventional photography.
For nearly 20 years, Angela has specialised in cyanotype, a 19th-century photographic printing process known for its rich blue colour.
Working from her studio darkroom at Woodend, she creates camera-less photographic works that combine fabric, botanical forms, and found objects to explore themes of memory, identity, and place.
Alongside her artistic practice, much of her recent work has been inspired by her research into St Martin’s Church and the life of Victorian benefactor Mary Craven, whose generosity helped establish the church..
The cyanotype dress featured in the exhibition draws on this research and Angela’s wider interest in women's histories. Printed with botanical imagery and layered with personal and historical references, the work reflects her ongoing exploration of the traces people leave behind and the stories embedded within buildings, objects and landscapes.
Angela said: “Cyanotype allows me to work with history in a very direct way.
"The process itself dates back to the early years of photography and I love that connection between past and present.
“My work often explores memory, women’s lives and the feeling that places can hold stories long after people have gone. It is a privilege to be invited to exhibit as part of a celebration of photography's 200-year history.”
Angela is also the author of Creative Cyanotype: Techniques and Inspiration, published by The Crowood Press and regularly teaches workshops introducing others to the magic of this historic photographic process.
Angela hopes the exhibition will introduce new audiences to cyanotype and demonstrate how one of photography's earliest processes continues to inspire contemporary artists today.
WITHOUT A CAMERA: 200 YEARS OF PHOTOGRAPHY, 1826–2026
A Touring Exhibition Celebrating Two Centuries of Cameraless Photography
Studies in Photography Gallery, Edinburgh June 26 to August 8
A Space to Breathe, Bowhouse, Fife August 15 to September 6