THE DANCE OF VENUS
Copper leaf, azurite and malachite on indigo-dyed paper
40cm x 56cm (15.7” x 22”)
2019
Based on the research of John Martineau, this painting shows the pattern that Venus and the Earth make around each other every 8 years. The pattern is gilded with copper; a metal traditionally linked with Venus. The underlying 5-fold geometric construction lines are painted with hand-prepared natural azurite and malachite pigments, both of which are copper carbonates. The indigo-dyed paper, the gilded copper, and the mineral pigments all reflect light differently, so that at different angles, different elements reveal themselves.
