Øksfjord: the winter blue prints

In the last week of November, Øksfjord had a visit from artist Emma Gunnarsson from Arctic Lux. She and the marine protected area manager Anita Holmgren have brought the kelp forest into the classrooms at Høgtun School and up to the health center through art, pictures and stories. Read on to find out more about the week, and the photo exhibition "Nature through our eyes" which is now hanging at the community house.

Emma Gunnarsson shows how students can create art with all the things we have brought from the ocean.

The project “Øksfjord Kelp Forest – Creating Blue Communities” aims to raise awareness and communicate the importance of the kelp forest. The kelp forest is one of the most important places on Earth. Among the dense kelp growths live countless animals such as small crustaceans, sea urchins, starfish, bristle worms, and juvenile coastal cod. Even though the kelp forest grows close to those of us who live along the coast, in shallow waters down to 30 meters, few people think about the significance of this spectacular ecosystem. Art is a powerful tool for showcasing the kelp forest—telling stories and imagining what it’s like there, and about those who call the kelp forest their home. Creating art also provides a space to reflect on our own connection to the ocean and the kelp forest, and, not least, it’s a lot of fun!

Artist Emma Gunnarsson and marine biologist Anita Holmgren

Emma works with photography and printmaking, and in recent years has developed cyanotype into a central expression in both her artistic work and her communication projects. She works in a craft-based and material-based manner, where the process and materials are allowed to be active co-creators in the expression. The ocean has always had an important place in Emma's field of interest. Her fascination with life below the surface and the relationship between humans and the nature around us characterizes her work - especially how our actions affect the ecosystems we are a part of.

Anita works as a manager for the Lopphavet marine protected area, which is in the municipalities of Loppa, Hasvik and Alta. She comes from the village Honningsvåg and grew up close to the ocean. This sparked her interest in marine biology, and she studied in Trondheim, Tromsø and on Svalbard. The kelp forest is one of Anita's favorite places, as it is home to many cool animals and has many important functions in the ocean.

Anita and Emma in front of the artwork from the health centre made this week (photo: Ingunn Ims Vistnes)

The photographic technique of cyanotype and Anna Atkins, historical inspiration

Cyanotype is a camera-free photographic technique developed by William Herschel in 1839. Paper or textile is brushed with a solution of iron salts. Objects are then placed directly on top before being exposed to sunlight or UV light. This time we included objects from the sea and kelp forests, such as seaweed, kelp, shells, sea glass, fish jaws, crab shells, plastic and glass beads. When the UV-exposed image is rinsed in water, the pictures emerge as white silhouettes against a blue background. Each image is unique. Shaped by light, structure and chance.

One of Emma's greatest inspirations is Anna Atkins, considered the world's first female photographer. She used cyanotype to document seaweed and kelp along the English coast, and published the world's first photo book: Photographs of British Algae. What Anna Atkins did over 170 years ago, we are doing again today.

Cyanotype of British algae by Anna Atkins (Anna Atkins's cyanotypes: the first book of photographs | Natural History Museum)

A school of blue artists

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (November 25th to 27th) we were at Høytun School. There, all the students went to the kelp forest and made blue pictures with the treasures from the shore and the kelp forest that Emma had brought. Everyone got to make their own picture, and the class collaborated to make a large class picture. We also talked about the kelp forest, about the animals that live in the sea and how we humans can impact the ocean both positively and negatively. The class was challenged to think about the importance of the sea for sea animals, like a fish or starfish, and for us humans, both as individuals and as a society.

The students' pictures are illuminated with UV light to create blue prints.

Sea creatures on a land visit

There were some sea creatures that made their way from under the floating dock to the classroom and health center. Baby sun stars, starfish, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, mussels, sea anemones and sea urchins were all there. While the pictures were illuminated, we talked about the different animals and made sure to be careful when holding them.

"The colors of the coast": open art workshop

On Wednesday, November 27th, we organized an open art workshop about cyanotype at school, where the participants were both enthusiastic and very creative. We brought exciting treasures found along the beaches in the north, negatives with old photos, as well as film and pens so that it was possible to draw. In addition, we explored translucent objects that created exciting motifs. Emma inspired the participants with her art, as well as some photo history and technique about cyanotype. The result was a number of beautiful pictures, high creativity and an evening where everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves. All the works were also included in the exhibition.

Some of the artwork from the open art workshop, exhibited at the community center.

Blue artists at the Health Center too

On Friday, November 29th, we visited the Health Center. We made a large group picture on fabric in addition to small personal pictures. Here, Emma included elements from coastal culture such as old tablecloths, photographs and vases. As Øksfjord and Loppa municipality are a place closely connected to the sea, everyone had memories and thoughts about both the things and the sea animals that were visiting. Anita was refreshed on which shells mean which animal when playing with shells, and we talked about both fishery in the old days. Some of the older people had memories of the lush kelp forest. When the pictures were illuminated, Emma served chocolate cake with kelp together with fruit, which was a great success. The finished picture will be displayed at the Health Center so that everyone can see the artwork.

Emma holds up the joint artwork that was made on fabric.

The photo exhibition "Nature through our eyes"

On Friday, November 28, the photo exhibition "Nature through our eyes" was opened by Mayor Cato Kristiansen at the community center, with a waffle, cake and coffee. Loppa kommune, with Stina Lorentzen Pedersen, displayed digital images from the photo competition in this year's "species hunt” (Artsjakten). Emma and Anita talked about the project "Øksfjord kelp forest - creating blue communities" and showed all the blue artworks from the school and the Health Center that were made with the analog photography technique cyanotype.

More blue art coming up!

A continuation of the project with expanded techniques is planned for the spring. So there will be new chances to participate, with exciting activities open to everyone. Then Emma will return to the school to continue working with cyanotype and tinting. The students will also make prints with seaweed as a herbarium by pressing plants to get an overview of which seaweed and kelp species are found in the local area. An open workshop with seaweed and kelp will also be arranged, focusing on what is possible to use as food.

Merry Christmas, and thank you for 2025! See you next year!

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Vi vil takke Sparebankstiftelsen Sparebank1 Nord-Norge for å være hovedsponsor til dette prosjektet. Takk til Støa for støtte gjennom rabbatert overnatting, Høgtun skole for samarbeid og lån av skolen til frivillige, Brisk Aqua Service AS for å la oss tørke dykkerutstyr i deres fasiliteter og kommuneadministrasjonen for god kommunikasjon og entusiasme.