Photograms, the direction of the light for the exposure

Because photograms are most often associate with darkrooms and enlargers, for most photographers, the usual method of using light to expose the image is through vertical projection via an enlarger in a similar manner to exposing a print from a negative.
Evocative and more abstract variations can be produced by projecting light across the objects from an oblique angle creating elongated shadows from the high points of the objects. This direction of the light source can be altered during the exposure or several exposures can be made from various angles onto the one sheet of paper.
I made this C Type colour photogram for an exhibition on the theme of the tea cup. It was made with a combination of an acetate photocopy of a news paper article and a glass cup. My response was to reference the French nuclear testing in the Pacific which was occurring at this time. The base of the glass cup was placed over the mouth of the photograph of Mr Chirac and the oblique angle projection has elongated the shadow to reference not only a gas mask over his mouth, but the mushroom shape of a nuclear explosion. The handle of the cup can be seen on the left side of the image. Although not visible in this image, to reference the heat of the explosion, the work was mounted with a transparent Plexiglas cover and both this and the top of the frame were burnt with a gas torch.
When you make photograms with materials that have a low sensitivity, like the Cyanotype, in sunlight, be aware that the angle and direction of the sun can change during the period of an exposure. If the exposure is one hour the angle of the sun will have altered by 15°

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