page_title: Lia Halloran
section_title: Your Body is a Space That Sees
hierarchical_section_title: Lia Halloran / Work / Your Body is a Space That Sees
caption_attribution_description: English: SPIRAL, AFTER ADELAIDE AMES
context_page_description: Lia Halloran is an American painter and photographer who lives and works in Los Angeles.
context_section_description: In the series, Your Body is a Space That Sees (2016-2017, cyanotype print), Halloran continues the theme of exploring scientific classification systems by re-investigating the timeline of discovery to unearth the influential women in its groundings. This large-scale series of cyanotypes is dedicated to the women of astronomy, whose fundamental and important impact on the field is often overlooked.
  From the late 1800s to the 20th century, this group of women known as the “Harvard Computers,” laid the foundation for the modern understanding of astronomy, classifying the brightness, size, and chemical composition of stars. In partnership with the Harvard University Archive, Halloran's works references the photographic plates used by these women to catalogue their research. With the support of an Art Works Grant from the National Endowment of the Arts in partnership with Chapman University, Halloran was able to conduct extensive research on these women, in order to create astonishing images of the night sky.
  The cyanotypes are created through a scientific and experimental process, by painting the images on semitransparent drafting film. Next, they are pressed on paper glazed with light-sensitive emulsion and exposed to the sun, creating a positive image. This process mimics that of the Harvard Computer's astronomical plates, essentially creating a photographic print without the use of a camera. Stepping away from the often formulaic process of science, Halloran's pieces do not dwell in accuracy, but instead offers an active experience, re-igniting the spirit of the universe.
caption: Spiral, After Adelaide Ames (2016, cyanotype print)
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