Climate Patinations
This series of three bronze pieces displays a range of coloration created by different climates throughout the US. They each remained outside for three and a half years, from April 2019 to October 2022. Bronze is unique for its durable and documentative qualities. It has the ability to carry information into the future, which is why it is used to create memorials and monuments. But it also has an atmospheric sensitivity to oxidation that makes it change color, gradually developing a tarnish or verdigris surface. Artists usually apply a chemical coloration called patina to the finished bronze, sealing it to prevent the color from changing over time. I wanted to dig deeper into the possibilities of a more dynamic climate-based patination for bronze sculpture as an exploration of material agency, environmental influence, and unknown climate creativity...read full column and interview at Neon Door HERE.
