NINE ELMS GALLERY

Catalina M Christensen

TERRAINS OF PIGMENT

18 - 25 May 2018

  • CHARRED: Charcoal pigment and egg tempera on canvas

    8 CHARRED

    Charcoal pigment and egg tempera on canvas

  • untitled: Rock pigments and egg tempera on canvas

    9 untitled

    Rock pigments and egg tempera on canvas

  • untitled: Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on canvas on wood

    10 untitled

    Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on canvas on wood

  • DEPOSITIONS: Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on canvas

    11 DEPOSITIONS

    Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on canvas

  • untitled: Metal powders and indigo dye on canvas

    13 untitled

    Metal powders and indigo dye on canvas

  • TRACES: Rock pigments, charcoal and egg tempera on canvas

    15 TRACES

    Rock pigments, charcoal and egg tempera on canvas

  • EARTH NUANCES 1: Rock pigments and egg tempera on canvas

    16 EARTH NUANCES 1

    Rock pigments and egg tempera on canvas

  • EARTH NUANCES 2: Rock pigments and egg tempera on canvas

    17 EARTH NUANCES 2

    Rock pigments and egg tempera on canvas

  • EARTH NUANCES 3: Rock pigments and egg tempera on canvas

    18 EARTH NUANCES 3

    Rock pigments and egg tempera on canvas

  • FERROCLINE: Rock pigments and egg tempera on canvas

    21 FERROCLINE

    Rock pigments and egg tempera on canvas

  • DIFFUSION: Charcoal pigment and egg tempera on canvas

    22 DIFFUSION

    Charcoal pigment and egg tempera on canvas

  • DISSOLUTION: Rock and charcoal pigments and egg tempera on canvas

    24 DISSOLUTION

    Rock and charcoal pigments and egg tempera on canvas

  • untitled: Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on canvas

    26 untitled

    Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on canvas

  • untitled: Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on canvas

    27 untitled

    Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on canvas

  • CONVECT: Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on wood

    30 CONVECT

    Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on wood

  • untitled: Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on canvas

    31 untitled

    Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on canvas

  • untitled: Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on canvas

    32 untitled

    Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on canvas

  • untitled: Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on canvas

    33 untitled

    Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on canvas

  • untitled: Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on canvas

    34 untitled

    Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on canvas

  • untitled: Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on canvas

    35 untitled

    Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on canvas

  • untitled: Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on canvas

    36 untitled

    Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on canvas

  • untitled: Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on canvas

    37 untitled

    Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on canvas

  • untitled: Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on wood

    38 untitled

    Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on wood

  • untitled: Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on wood

    39 untitled

    Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on wood

  • untitled: Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on wood

    40 untitled

    Metal powders, indigo dye and egg tempera on wood

'Terrains of pigment' is a window into the artist's life in her studio, revealing a complex and unusual practice; the elaboration of pigments leading to the creation of paintings and 3D objects. Her hands-on approach to pigment collection and preparation, together with the use of traditional egg tempera techniques, coalesce to produce a profoundly distinctive visual style, through which thematic concerns are explored.
Christensen's practice progresses from micro to macro level, from processing the natural pigments to the creation of works which call up distant memories and experiences of the artist in remote landscapes. Colours and textures immerse the viewer in a primal reaction to these recollections; bold and sundry nuances of blue and green sweep the canvas, while Earthy tones seep and stain, and coarse sediments add grit and roughness. This singular style is the ever-evolving product of the artist’s experimental nature.
"From the beginning of my artistic career, I have been fascinated with experimentation and the alchemy of materials. Three years ago, I took the decision to make my practice as environmentally neutral as possible, in line with my ecological concerns. This inspired me to use egg tempera instead of oils and turpentine and wherever possible to use natural materials as the source of my pigments. Currently, I use natural rock pigments I collect and process in my native Colombia as well as indigo dye, metal powders and their compounds reduced and oxidised through the application of natural chemical processes".