From solo exhibition: Dust to Dust
The Art Gallery at Casa, Lethbridge, Alberta
7 November 2024 - 11 January 2025
Genuine Gold Leaf (24kt) and Lapis Lazuli pigment on birch panels, 10” x 10” x 1” each
Gold leaf was used in the earliest representations of sky – which was imagined as the divine expanse of the heavens. The brilliance and reflective qualities of gold were imbued with mythical status, and sumptuous gold skies are found in mosaics, altarpieces, and paintings from the Byzantine era to the early Renaissance, across southern and northern Europe.
Highly valued as a currency and used decoratively for over 6,000 years, the cultural significance of gold is deeply rooted in human history and spans civilizations and cultures worldwide. Chemically, gold is a transition metal, a group 11 element, and a noble metal meaning it is resistant to oxidation and corrosion under most conditions. Importantly, gold’s extraordinary malleability allows it to be drawn and stretched considerably before breaking and the tradition of gold beating – hammering small pieces of gold into sheets as thin as a human hair – goes back centuries. The 24 kt genuine gold leaf used in this work was sourced from Manetti, a family company in Florence, Italy, dating back to the Renaissance, that still practices the ancient and noble art of gold beating. [1]
Lapis lazuli – one of the earliest blue pigments available – at various historical periods rivalled the cost of gold. It was therefore reserved for the most sacred subjects in devotional painting, such as the robes of the Virgin Mary or decorative passages. The pigment used in this small blue panel was carefully sourced. It was prepared from gem grade rocks using an ancient recipe by 14th century Italian painter Cennino d’Andrea Cennini, that extracts the pigment through a laborious process of crushing, washing, and milling the hard stone. [2] [3]
1. For over 400 years, the Manetti family of Florence has been at the centre of the production process for the transformation of ingot into leaf, emerging as an ambassador throughout the world of the gold leafing tradition.
2. Lapis Lazuli is a blue semiprecious stone mined in the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan for centuries. It is found in Asia and America, but the highest grade is produced in Afghan mines. Known as ultramarine blue for its journey across the sea, the original lapis lazuli mineral pigments were sought after until the 19th century with the invention of synthetically produced ultramarine and other blue pigments using modern chemistry.
3. Master Pigments Company, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
View project: Dust to Dust