ALTON - Bryan Bethel has always been an artist, but he just recently became a scientist.
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Bethel is the Milton Schoolhouse Artist of the Month, and his cyanotype prints are on display throughout July. He explained that cyanotype printmaking uses chemicals and natural light to create blue images. He enjoys playing with these natural processes and using glassware to create interesting patterns.
“It’s a little bit like one part art, one part mad science,” he joked. “It’s a fun process to have learned. I like the idea of finding a way to work with these natural principles, these natural things that are happening with the light.”
Bethel has a background in graphic design; he said he knows “just enough to be dangerous” and often takes commissions. Though he has always loved art, it wasn’t until recently that he learned about cyanotype printmaking through artist Jeff Sass at Jacoby Arts Center. He quickly fell in love with the process.
To create the prints, Bethel mixes chemicals on watercolor paper and makes a photogram. He then places different items on top of the paper and shines UV light or sunlight on the object to process a silhouetted image onto the paper.
Bethel is particularly fascinated by how the sunlight affects glassware. He hunts for glassware at thrift stores and creates prints with these items. Friends and family members will also bring him heirloom glassware, and Bethel will make prints so they can display the glass without fear of breaking it.
“I’m really interested in the view of how the light goes through the glass, this natural phenomenon of seeing how the light reflects and refracts,” he explained. “It’s kind of like a collaboration piece in that way, finding the way that this different glassware shines, the different images and mark-making that it can create.”
He does a similar process where he runs water over coffee grounds. The resulting images are striking.
While Milton Schoolhouse isn’t the first place that Bethel has displayed his art, he noted that it means a lot to return home to Alton. He believes that the Riverbend region has a fantastic art scene, and he’s proud to be a part of it.
“I’ve had a little bit of success here in Alton and along the Mississippi,” he said. “Alton is great for that. There’s so many creative people and people working on their art, their music, and just doing really inspiring things around here. I’m so lucky to be in this area and have such a wealth of like-minded, creative and interesting people to source off of and to gain more inspiration from.”
Looking forward, Bethel plans to continue cyanotype printmaking. He loves the process and can’t wait to experiment more with his art. While he hopes people will continue to enjoy his work, it’s his passion for creating that drives him.
“I’m just going to keep on making, and I hope that people keep looking and enjoying,” he said. “I’m always about the making.”
To view Bethel's art and inquire about commissions, follow his official Instagram page.
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