KATIE DELL KAUFMAN
I was initially inspired to work with powdered pigments in in my studio practice , when , in 2005 when I discovered the wonderful luminescent effects created by pastel dust when it was suspended in acrylic medium . While drawing and crumbling pastels , I introduced acrylic medium , and suddenly , the soft dusty surfaces seemed captured in the subtle depths of the work .
Within a year , I began creating assemblages which included representational drawings on canvas - landscapes , portraits , figures - using suspended charcoal and pastel dust , which were then embedded into found architectural salvage . The smeared powdered pigment created the sensation of looking through a rain-spattered window . The softness of the image suggested age and memory , while at the same time allowing the context - the salvage - to come into the foreground and become more prominent . A number of these assemblages can be seen on my website under the series
Ladders and Shutters , and
House of Holding On . These were harbingers of the encaustic work to come .
Far From Home , Assemblage ( shutter , charcoal , matte medium on canvas ), 42 x 24 inches , 2009