Mineral Paintings
2013 - 2017
Lazurite, Turquoise, Dioptase, Ocher, Carbon, Azurite on Canvas

Exhibitions: Tappan Collective, Soho House
 

While working on several large-scale sculptural works in Arizona I started the mineral painting series as a gallery analogue to the work I was doing out in the field.  Painting with the mineral rich earth and hidden deposits beneath our feet with their intense array of color, beauty and innate worth was an excellent way to bring my Earth Art Ceremonies into the gallery and collector’s homes.

The mineral paintings series was inspired, alongside my other recent works, to focus on a primitivist and archetypal perspective – choosing to work alongside the natural raw and rugged beauty of ancient technology, natural materials and mythological shapes.  The intention of using these universal references to light, primitive survival, architecture & art, symbolism, natural shapes, mythological and storytelling from ancient and a collection of cultures throughout humanity’s history is intended to employ a Jungian archetypal celebration, hoping to bring to mind simple, beautiful, sensual responses and power which has been passed through generations.

The paintings themselves are designed to be viewed in more than one direction.  When viewed from the side and lit, the minerals glow in a beautiful and awe-inspiring contrast to the matte canvas.  Each mineral is selected carefully and crushed down to a fine powder to be used for its own natural beauty in color and intrinsic properties.

The sales of these works have been donated to the ancestors of the indigenous communities.