More from the Infusion Show
"Embrace the Invitation"
Original Illumination with Mixed Media on Wood Panel
18"x18"
$450.00
My artist statement for the illuminations in the Infusion Show:
Altered Settings: Unexpected Beauty in Timeworn Fragments
by Amelia (Mimi) Whaley
“ Altered Settings” was inspired by pages from Books of Hours, small medieval manuscripts hand-written and illuminated on vellum, which I saw in museums in Paris. Signs of age were obvious with stains, worm holes, torn vellum. As with our bodies, everything is in a state of decay, following the laws of nature.
Amazingly, the beauty of these illuminated manuscripts transcended their visible decay. I found the worn pages more beautiful because of the smudges, teardrops and other stains left by the hands and hearts of their owners.
When something is broken, damaged or shows some imperfection, we normally choose one of three options to deal with “damaged goods”. First we can salvage or preserve it, depending on the perception of worth or importance. Second, we can discard, de-value or even destroy it. The third way is to introduce, integrate or infuse it into another form, creating something new that could not exist without the attributes of the damaged item.
I created illuminated pages in a manner authentic to the time, using vellum, natural pigments with egg as binder, 23 karat gold leaf and dip pen and ink. After aging and distressing a page, I incorporated it into a larger work of mixed media on wood panel, changing the nature of both the illumined page and the wood panel. The integration highlights the beauty of the illumined page, even in its damaged condition, much as a setting for a precious stone.
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