Flemish-less Painting Series

Flemish Painting, Richmond UC Berkeley Studio, 8 layers flemish gesso, verdigris pigment (honey, rock salt, urine, copper), black walnut varnish etc on oak panel, 7 x 4′, 2004

In the minimalist Flemish-less painting series, all the steps of a flemish painting—except for the painting itself—were extensively researched and painstakingly carried out to the best of my ability. From the construction of the oak panel to the many fine layers of rabbit skin gesso to the creation of the unstable pigment verdigris and the numerous layers of finishing varnish, this series explores lost histories and the storied invention of oil painting from Jan Van Eyck to his mysterious sister, Margareta Van Eyck. Out of my research, I discovered that the following words were written on her gravestone: “Herein lies Margareta Van Eyck who did marvelous things in the realm of painting.”

Early Flemish Painting, 8 x 5', digital pigment print on canvas, 2004, Installation view, UC Berkeley studio, Richmond, CA

Early Flemish Painting, Digital pigment print on canvas (detail), 8 x 5', 2004

Early Flemish Painting (Margareta Van Eyck), digital pigment print on canvas, 2004, smaller edition 1 of 2, 21 x 20" (larger edition 2/2 6' x 5' available)