Gold
Pieces of Agatha
Pieces Of Agatha is a melding of my explorations with the gold leaf process and current thoughts on sexual assault.
I am fascinated with Renaissance works that couple traditional iconography with female subjects of oppression, which seem positively modern today. One of the pleasures of allowing subject and narrative to push and pull each other is that I am often led to a new technical aspect of the artistic process which then becomes all-consuming. Thus, having been drawn to the plight of St. Agatha, the patron saint of rape victims (often depicted in portraiture holding her own amputated breasts) I found myself diving into the 14th-century panel work techniques of water gilding, egg tempera, sgraffito, and punchwork.
I have experimented with traditional Florentine tools and leaf to create surfaces which suit my own renditions of St. Agatha. This body of work represents targets of unwanted attention while taking on the form of breastplates, armor, and decorative patterns of the victim’s dress.
Learn more about seeing this series at Birmingham Museum of Art.
