Works on Paper

I corrode found steel and copper directly onto paper using combinations of salt, water, and vinegar. With each printing, iron and copper are transferred into the fibers of the paper. Eventually the metal used to create the prints will disintegrate.

The image emerges over days and weeks, with gravity, humidity, and rate of evaporation defining the colors and textures. The moisture-absorbing quality of salt means the works are never finished. Despite being treated with fixative, the salt and paper continue to absorb and release water from the air, resulting in a surface that changes over time.

Series descriptions at right; selected works below.

 
 
  • In the ongoing series This Corrosion, I explore themes of impermanence and transformation, capturing on paper the interactions between metal, water, and time.

  • This series is inspired by the oversized topographic/shaded relief maps of the planets produced by the United States Geological Survey.

  • The ongoing Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF) series is inspired by NASA's Hubble Ultra Deep Field capture—which until 2023, was the deepest image of the universe ever taken. It has been used to search for galaxies that existed between 400 and 800 million years after the Big Bang.

 

This Corrosion

United States Geological Survey (USGS)

Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF)

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