Goldlandscapes

“Light is time thinking about itself. -
Octavio Paz”

The imaginary landscape is central to my work. I paint landscapes onto canvases covered with 23 karat gold leaf, bronze, copper, aluminum and white gold leaf.

I combine different types of gold and metal leaf in a single painting to exploit their different colors and reflective qualities. For example, a pure 23 karat gold leaf sky might be paired with metal leaf water. I can oxidize the metal leaf with chemicals and acids to create gestural abstract areas that contrast with the sheen of the gold. I also paint over the metal and gold leaf with metallic pigments.

I paint the landscape directly onto the metal or gold leaf surface. In some paintings transparent pigments allow the gold to shimmer through the paint and create an effect of depth. In other landscapes, opaque paints create a contrast to the exceptional glow of the gold and the aged metal surfaces.

These techniques were perfected centuries ago and assure that the final work will not deteriorate. The first preparatory step involves painting an oil gold size that acts as an adhesive over the gessoed canvas. This layer is allowed to semi-dry. Then each square of metal leaf is individually applied by hand over the entire surface of the canvas. The metal leaf then cures for a week before I begin painting the actual landscape.

At the horizon line, sky and water, and light and shadow meet. By moving in front of the painting and shifting the viewing angle, the viewer can alter the light and the shadow that fall onto the landscape and thereby witness the passage of time through light. Similarly, the changing light over the course of a day dramatically alters the luminosity of the painting. Luminosity is the underlying theme in all of my work.

Paul Hunter