With the eclipse taking place this week, and the process of archiving lots of my old work also underway I’ve been reminded of an artists book I made to celebrate the solar eclipse that took place in 1999 as well as the total lunar eclipse that took place not long after. ‘Totality’ was made as a photogram, a photographic process blocking out areas of the light from an enlarger, on to a piece of light-sensitive paper. I made drawings of the stages of the eclipses as diagrams on to acetate using a chino-graph pencil that sat on top of a Kentmere photographic paper because it was able to fold without tearing or splitting the coating. It’s a great paper.

The process of the making of the images was completely in line with the concept of the book, blocking out light and revealing light. Light was the subject and medium – I like that simplicity. I had to work in the bathroom of my flat in Camberwell in the middle of the night hoping that the neighbour wouldn’t turn a light on which would shine in to the room and ruin the exposure of each sheet of paper. To make an edition of these books it was a production line of carefully timed stages, as I had to fold the sheets of photographic paper when damp for the cleanest fold in to the concertina structure. This was a project of problem solving but I really enjoyed it. The lunar eclipse is on one side and the solar eclipse is on the other. The slipcase included a cut-out circle in order for the reader to create the image of an eclipse when taking the book from the case. The book is pocket sized, as if it is a useful guide.

I have uncovered the last remaining few so get in touch if you are interested in buying one, £20 each, let me know by email in the first instance: kate@katefarley.co.uk

Enjoy the eclipse on Friday – don’t stare at the sun! I’ll be using a pinhole in paper and hoping for a cloudless day…