MIGRATION
Statement & Catalog
“The relationship of humans to the earth on which they are born is based less on attachment to a particular place than on movement across it.”
– Paul Virilio, Terre Natale
I am fascinated by the movement of humans and animals across the globe, and am drawn to illustrate their webs and networks of transit. I am also fascinated by cosmology, in particular the way the earth and other heavenly bodies travel through space. Accordingly, this body of work is inspired both by the movements of the planets and stars, and by the complementary movements of animals and people across the earth.
In this series I work with cyanotype, one of the oldest alternative photographic processes. Cyanotype was the original process by which blueprints were created, and its blue color evokes skies and oceans, giving the works a vast, dreamlike, atmospheric quality. I begin each piece by painting the emulsion onto paper in the darkroom in varying patterns, after which I expose the prints in outdoor sunlight, sometimes working in locations over which flocks of migratory birds fly. Following the exposure process, I add gouache, ink, pastel, or wax to some of the works to further develop them as paintings.
MIGRATION
April 9 – June 15, 2014
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Holsberry_2017_Traces_CyanotypeAcrylicPaper_36x132_web_1024.jpg)
Traces / Cyanotype on paper with acrylic, 36 x 132 in., 2017
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Holsberry_2021_NightFlight_CyanotypeWaxWoodPanel_36x36_web.jpg)
Night Flight / Cyanotype and wax on wood panel, 36 x 36 in., 2021
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Holsberry_2019_FallingFeathers_CyanotypeAcrylicPaper_30x22_web_1024.jpg)
Falling Feathers / Cyanotype and acrylic on paper, 30 x 22 in., 2019
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Holsberry_LosMedanosCollege_Migration_TakingFlight_1024.jpg)
Taking Flight (left), Migration exhibition, Los Medanos College Art Gallery, Pittsburg, CA, 2014
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Holsberry_2014_NavigatingByStars1_CyanotypeGouacheEncausticPanel_60x20in_web_1024.jpg)
Navigating by Stars 1 / Cyanotype, gouache, and wax on paper on panel, 60 x 20 in., 2014
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Holsberry_2019_Flight_1_2_Diptych_ScreenprintTranslucentFabric_65x38each_web_1024-1.jpg)
Flight 1 & 2, diptych / Screen print on translucent fabric suspended on lucite bar, 65 x 48 in. each, 2020
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Holsberry_2014_LeCielBleu_CyanotypeGouache_-22x31in_web_1024.jpg)
LeCiel Bleu / Cyanotype and gouache on paper, 22 x 31 in., 2014
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Holsberry_2019_Flight3_ScreenprintTranslucentFabric_65x36_web_1024.jpg)
Flight 3 / Screen print on translucent fabric suspended on lucite bar, 65 x 43 in., 2020
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Holsberry_2014_TakingFlight_CyanotypePastelGouache_72x38in_web_1024.jpg)
Taking Flight / Cyanotype, pastel, and gouache on paper, 72 x 38 in., 2014
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Holsberry_2014_HoverTriptych_Cyanotype_72x114in_web_1024.jpg)
Hover, triptych / Cyanotype on paper, 72 x 114in., 2014
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Holsberry_LosMedanos_Exhibition2_web1024.jpg)
Migration exhibition, Los Medanos College Art Gallery, Pittsburg, CA, 2014
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Holsberry_2014_Opening_CyanotypeGouacheInkWaxNavigationChartsPanel_22x50in_web_1024.jpg)
Opening, Triptych / Cyanotype, gouache, ink, and wax on paper with navigation charts on panel, 22 x 45 in., 2014
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Holsberry_2014_UnexploredRegions_CyanotypeGouacheEncausticPanels_44x30in_web_1024.jpg)
Unexplored Regions / Cyanotype, gouache, and wax on paper on panel, 44 x 30 in., 2014
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Holsberry_2014_NavigatingByStars2_CyanotypeGouacheEncausticPanel_20x30in_web_1024.jpg)
Navigating by Stars 2 / Cyanotype, gouache, and wax on paper on panel, 20 x 30 in., 2014
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Holsberry_2017_Ancient-Wisdom-1-6_CyanotypeGouacheWaxPaperPanel_4x4_web.jpg)
Ancient Wisdom 1 - 6 / Cyanotype, gouache, and wax on paper on panel, 4 x 4 in. each, 2017
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Holsberry_2014_NavigatingByStars3_-CyanotypeGouacheEncausticPanel_20x30in_web_1024.jpg)
Navigating by Stars 3 / Cyanotype, gouache, and wax on paper on panel, 20 x 30 in., 2014
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Holsberry_2014_BeckoningToTheBirds_CyanotypePastel_38x72in_web_1024.jpg)
Beckoning to the Birds / Cyanotype and pastel on paper, 38 x 72 in., 2014
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Holsberry_2014_Lido_CyanotypeGouacheInkBeadsBoneThreadSilkOrganza_35x43in_web_1024.jpg)
Lido / Cyanotype, gouache, ink, beads, bone, and embroidery on paper with silk organza, 35 x 43 in., 2014
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Holsberry_2021_TreasureMap1_CyanotypeInkEmbroidPaper_28x18.5_web.jpg)
Treasure Map 2 / Cyanotype, ink, embroidery, and found vintage paper, 28 x 18.5 in., 2021
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/ann_holsberry_treasuremap1.jpg)
Treasure Map 1 / Cyanotype, ink, embroidery, and found vintage paper, 28 x 18.5 in., 2023
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Holsberry_2015_TreasureMap3_CyanotypeInkEmbroideryVintageFoundPaper_28x18.5_web_1024.jpg)
Treasure Map 3 / Cyanotype, ink, embroidery, and found vintage paper, 28 x 18.5 in., 2017
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/ann_holsberry_treasure_map_1_detail_b.jpg)
Treasure Map 1 Detail / Cyanotype, ink, embroidery, and found vintage paper, 28 x 18.5 in., 2023
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Holsberry_2021_TreasureMap4_CyanotypeInkEmbroidPaper_28x18.5_web.jpg)
Treasure Map 4 / Cyanotype, ink, embroidery, and found vintage paper, 28 x 18.5 in., 2021
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Holsberry_2014_LosMedanos_Exhibition1_web1024.jpg)
Migration exhibition, Los Medanos College Art Gallery, Pittsburg, CA, 2014
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Holsberry_2014_MappingTheDawnSky_CyanotypeEncausticPanel_22x79in_web_1024.jpg)
Mapping the Dawn Sky / Cyanotype and wax on paper on panel, 22 x 75 in., 2014
VIDEO
![](https://annholsberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/video_01_tn-scaled.jpg)