A 430-Foot Cyanotype Was Created Across an Entire Bridge

Summary

• The cyanotype measures approximately 430 feet long and covers around 3,200 square feet
• Around 100 volunteers participated in its preparation and production
• More than 80 people lay on the fabric with objects from their childhood
• Each section was exposed to sunlight for approximately ten minutes
• The team expects the entire project to require more than 100 working hours
• The work has not been officially certified as a world record

A cyanotype measuring approximately 430 feet was created using sunlight, light-sensitive chemicals and the participation of dozens of people.

Artists Bobby Phillips and Meg Roach, working with around 100 volunteers, covered the Blue Bridge in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with an enormous piece of light-sensitive fabric. More than 80 people lay on the material alongside objects from their childhood and remained still for approximately ten minutes, allowing sunlight to record their silhouettes.

The project stands out not only because of its scale, but also because it brings a historic camera-less photographic process back into focus. Its surface area is estimated at around 3,200 square feet, apparently exceeding the cyanotype that currently holds the relevant Guinness World Record, although the creators were unable to fund the official verification process.

What is a cyanotype?

A cyanotype is a photographic process that does not require a camera or lens. It is based on a light-sensitive chemical coating applied to paper, fabric or another suitable surface.

The process uses ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide. When the coated material is exposed to ultraviolet light, the uncovered areas react, while the sections beneath objects or human bodies remain protected. After rinsing, the image develops the characteristic deep blue color of a cyanotype, with white or pale silhouettes.

How the sunlight exposure worked

The team laid approximately 430 feet of prepared fabric across the pedestrian bridge during the summer solstice. More than 80 participants positioned themselves on the surface while holding personal objects connected to their childhood.

The people and objects effectively acted as negatives, blocking sunlight from reaching the sensitive surface. The fabric therefore recorded their outlines directly, without a sensor, film or camera.

The challenge of achieving even exposure

On a work of this length, even a few minutes of additional exposure could produce noticeable differences in brightness and blue color.

To prevent the beginning of the fabric from becoming brighter than the final section, the team unrolled it in stages. They then rolled it back up using matching timing, ensuring that each section remained in sunlight for approximately ten minutes.

Preparing the enormous piece of fabric

Before it could be moved to the bridge, the fabric had to be coated with the light-sensitive solution. The team suspended it from a ceiling and worked in sections of approximately 45 feet, applying the chemicals with a paint sprayer.

The individual sections were then stitched together and rolled up to protect them from light before exposure. This part of the process alone took two days, with work continuing until 2 AM.

Why rinsing is essential

Sunlight exposure does not complete a cyanotype. The fabric must be rinsed to remove unreacted chemicals and reveal the final image correctly.

For this project, the team plans to pass all 430 feet of fabric through large tubs containing a hydrogen peroxide solution. The containers will need to be filled and drained repeatedly, making this one of the most demanding stages of the entire production. The creators estimate that the project will require more than 100 working hours by the time it is finished.

The comparison with the Guinness record

The cyanotype measures approximately 430 by 7.5 feet, covering close to 3,200 square feet.

The official Guinness World Record for the largest cyanotype belongs to Greek creator Stefanos Tsakiris, who produced a work measuring 276.64 square meters in 2017. The new artwork appears to cover a larger surface, but it cannot be officially recognized without verification. According to the organizers, the estimated cost of the Guinness process was $20,000, which they were unable to raise.

How can a 430-foot artwork be displayed?

Presenting the finished cyanotype creates another practical problem, as very few venues can accommodate a continuous artwork measuring 430 feet.

The creators are considering several solutions, including arranging the fabric as a spiral that visitors could walk through or suspending it from a ceiling like a waterfall. Their goal is to find a suitable venue to display it during ArtPrize 2027 in Grand Rapids.

A community photography project

For the creators, the possibility of breaking a record was not the project’s only purpose. It was designed as a shared experience that could include people with no previous knowledge of cyanotype photography.

The production received support from a program funding public art installations and community events in Grand Rapids, while a drone photographer also helped document the process.

What we think

This cyanotype demonstrates that photography does not begin and end with a camera. The precise preparation of the chemicals, the controlled sunlight exposure, the movement of the fabric and the collaboration of dozens of people transform a historic process into a contemporary photographic artwork on a monumental scale.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was a camera used?

No. The image was produced through the cyanotype process by exposing light-sensitive fabric directly to sunlight.

How were the people recorded on the fabric?

More than 80 people lay on the light-sensitive fabric for approximately ten minutes. Their bodies blocked the sunlight, leaving pale silhouettes on the final image.

Which chemicals are used for cyanotype photography?

The light-sensitive coating is produced using ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide.

How large is the cyanotype?

It measures approximately 430 feet long and 7.5 feet tall, with a total surface area close to 3,200 square feet.

Did it officially break the world record?

Not yet. Although its surface area appears to exceed the existing record, the work has not been officially verified by Guinness World Records.