Many Little Fires
Text © Taryn Möller Nicoll , 2013
In her 2007 publication Portraits and Persons , Cynthia Freeland , Ph . D ., speculated the most unyielding dilemma of portraiture to be the tension between “ the subject ’ s depicted individuality , and also the artist ’ s expressed individuality .” Freeland , Professor of Philosophy at the University of Houston , Texas , would surely have considered these very concerns had she heard of June Lampe and her figurative encaustics . A ninetyseven year old artist who paints with pigmented beeswax , an age-old technique conceived of as early as the 1 st century B . C ., June Lampe depicts transcendent mythological and biblical figures , resplendent abstracts , vivid florals and captivating personalities set amidst dynamic fields of textured , flowing color . Despite her choice of subject matter and technique each being so very historically connotative , June Lampe has , over the course of her sixty-plus year career , resolutely communicated the personal through her decidedly expressive representations of some of the most renowned characters in classical history .
Recently , upon meeting June at the Lampe Gallery of Fine Art in Metairie , Louisiana , during one of her painting classes , I was struck by the sheer ‘ hip ’ factor of this woman . Flitting amidst easels , stacks of lavishly framed paintings and students at work , June was casually feminine in black leggings , a grey and ochre ombre t-shirt , and metal studded Chuck Taylor sneakers – an edginess that rendered her petite stature pixie-esque rather than frail or apologetic . Immediately one can ascertain that June is self-assured both as a woman and an artist . She is not one for excessively verbalized sentimentality and wordiness ; she maintains a composed , observant air during initial conversation but warms quickly to disclose the bright charm that is so beloved and guarded by those who know her . When asked about the relevance of one ’ s ‘ self ’ in art , June responded swiftly and simply : “ Self expression is everything . If I couldn ’ t paint or sculpt what I wanted , what I believed or what moved me , I wouldn ’ t want to do it at all .” This radiating sense of confident individualism is the product of a near century ’ s worth of applied determination .