Inspired by self-reflection and the theater of the domestic, these works reveal non-linear narratives inspired from a life loud with children, laughter, cynicism, work, and vivid dreams. Each piece combines found paper, ephemera, and vintage photos with book pages and original photographic images. The parts are assembled on wood using encaustic as the medium of collage and vehicle for image transfer. The stitched, collaged, layered aspects of life, pieces of domestic space, and unexpected portraits, are both real and imagined. Through this work discarded materials are unified as a way to reclaim the past and blend it with the present.
About encaustic:
Encaustic is one of the world’s oldest and most archival art media. It is a combination of raw beeswax, damar resin and pigment. It is applied in molten form in layers, and fused at high heat. The word encaustic comes from Greek ‘enkaustikos,’ which means 'to burn in,' referring to the process of fusing the medium. Encaustic has been used to ornament Greek ships, paint murals for ancient Roman homes, and was the medium of choice for the astonishingly life-like Egyptian mummy portraits, circa 200 BC. These portraits were painted from life on wooden panels and the state of preservation of these panels is a testament to encaustic’s durability.
Basic ancient encaustic techniques remain the same while it has become a very popular 21st century medium. Encaustic can be polished to a high gloss, carved, scraped, layered, utilized in collage processes, textured, and beautifully facilitates image transfers. It cools immediately so that there is no drying time, and yet because it can be reheated, it can always be reworked. Encaustic is a very durable artists’ medium because beeswax is impervious to moisture; it will not deteriorate, it will not yellow, and it will not darken. Encaustic artwork does not have to be varnished or protected by glass.
: : False Symmetry : :
Inspired by self-reflection and the theater of the domestic, these works reveal non-linear narratives inspired from a life loud with children, laughter, cynicism, work, and vivid dreams. Each piece combines found paper, ephemera, and vintage photos with book pages and original photographic images. The parts are assembled on wood using encaustic as the medium of collage and vehicle for image transfer. The stitched, collaged, layered aspects of life, pieces of domestic space, and unexpected portraits, are both real and imagined. Through this work discarded materials are unified as a way to reclaim the past and blend it with the present.