M. Clark

Roots²

2019

Artist Comments
Gestural strokes of solid gold spread against a black surface. This energetic piece has a continuously shifting luminosity that is dependent on the viewer’s vantage point. "It provides an infinitely evolving viewing experience," says artist M. Clark. She rendered this piece using a technique where gold foil is sculpted using heat and varying pressure over the course of many weeks. The edges are finished in gold foil creating a halo effect around the artwork as light reflects off the sides of the piece.

About the Artist
M. Clark manipulates metallic foil in order to create rich surfaces that are highly reactive to shifts in light. She strives to continually push the bounds of her gold foil medium, including working directly with a manufacturer to develop foil in specific sizes and colors that were not previously available...

Artist Comments
Liquid gold metal drawn over diagonal black and white stripes. Thick, painterly texture provides numerous angles to reflect light. The edges of the piece are finished in gold. Created by carefully manipulating metallic foil with heat and varying pressure over the course of many weeks. This is a highly specialized and unique technique developed by M. to achieve her goals of bending light and drawing out distinctive elements in the foil. The work is very luminous and will display individual characteristics in different lighting situations.

About the Artist
M. Clark sculpts metallic foil with heat and pressure to create rich surfaces that are highly reactive to shifts in light. She strives to continually push the bounds of her gold foil medium, including working directly with a manufacturer to develop foil in specific sizes and colors that were not previously available. As a person with dyslexia, her artwork has roots in the way she processes symbols. "The multidimensional shape and arc of letters are more powerful than stringed characters forming words," she explains. M. lives in New York and works in a studio on the 35th floor with big windows overlooking the East River. She describes it as an inspiring and calming space, and is fastidious about keeping the place organized. Her work has been exhibited nationally, including a large scale installation in the Smithsonian, and is collected internationally.

Words that describe this painting: gold, metallic, luminous, pattern, geometric, modern, Jackson Pollock, abstract, non-representational, modern , mixed media artwork, yellow

Behind the Scenes...

Artist Comments
Painterly strokes of gold move about on a black background. "The edges are finished in gold foil creating a halo effect around the artwork as light reflects off the sides of the piece," shares artist M. Clark. The technique used to create this is one where gold foil is sculpted using heat and varying pressure over the course of many weeks. "This work has a continuously shifting luminosity that is dependent on the viewer’s vantage point. This provides an infinitely evolving viewing experience."

About the Artist
M. Clark manipulates metallic foil in order to create rich surfaces that are highly reactive to shifts in light. She strives to continually push the bounds of her gold foil medium, including working directly with a manufacturer to develop foil in specific sizes and colors that were not previously available...