with Milos Beran
How did you first come to work with encaustics?
I discovered the encaustic painting technique at the beginning of 1998, by accident, when I was browsing the Internet. In this way I also found an Arts Encaustic site of Michael Bossom with detailed instruction of the method and other encaustic sites. Immediately I decided to try the method myself because I felt that it corresponded to my disposition as it opens a huge space for experimenting and creating rich textures.
Can you describe the hot wax procedure? What are the tools you use?
Encaustics started over 2 millennia ago. It is believed that the painting technique was invented by the ancient Greeks and spread around the Mediterranean area. The original authentic encaustic method used only beeswax, resin and pigment combinations without any other additions. The mixture was melted and burned into the painting support. Today, in a more general definition, encaustic art is artwork that is rendered with a wax paint that has been processed with heat at some stage in the creative process, to manipulate the image and to fuse the wax paint within itself and to the support. I experiment with different coloured waxes. I use a domestic iron as the main tool and a rigid support. I process the coloured waxes directly on the support with the iron. However, there are a lot of different encaustic techniques described. You can find a lot of information about encaustic painting at special web sites dedicated to the technique.
Fractal
geometry seems to naturally relate to infinite 'layers' of reality, which
you experience in your creative process; describe how the science of fractals
might directly inform your work.
The Universe is a gigantic and continually changeable brick-box – different repeating shapes emerge and disappearing again and again – all is pervaded and possibly also formed by universal consciousness. The Mandelbrot or Julia sets, for example, can create a magically beautiful abstract parable of our Universe, as we perceive it. One simple mathematical equation, such as y=z2+c, can create an infinite virtual complex space filled with repeating perfect geometric forms!! The coincidence with some of ancient and medieval philosophical systems is apparent! Deeper contemporary philosophical reflections are still absent, but more and more artists are attracted by these visions.
At present I use fractal patterns more frequently for “constructions” of landscapes, clouds, rocks, or trees, for example. I withdraw from the original real theme into an inner realm, by this way creating a new virtual space. I paint landscapes as a still life. I start with a first impression and gradually build a landscape from simple building blocks – creating a new composition and colour harmony in a free way as it emerges at the painting. I try to “re-create” the landscape rather than to copy it. Hot molten waxes of different colours, when they are mixed together, are an excellent medium to form different natural fractal patterns. Typical tree-like fractal patterns can also be created with a mildly heated iron. I would also like to try to catch the subtle inner fractal structures of matter perceived during psychedelic experiments in my paintings, to enter inside under apparent surfaces of objects. Hot wax seems to be an ideal medium for this kind of experiment.
Do
aspects of your culture, heritage or personal life appear in your work? Are
there recurring themes or issues?
Yes, definitely.
There is no another way. Authentic creative art has to reflect aspects of
a personal history, psychological and spiritual development, our faiths and
struggles, failures, ideals. Art should be a mirror reflecting our “inner
space”. However, the “inner space” is in a dynamic interaction with the outer
world, it is at least partly constituted by the outer world. On the other
hand, it also influences the outer world in a feedback.
There are some recurring themes, the birds, for example. The first bird (see the Strange bird in my portfolio), was inspired by a stain on a WC wall. It symbolizes a passively resigned human being unable create actively his or her life, a human being passively dragged by a net of degenerated social conventions, frustrated and easy object of manipulations. The theme also reflects my depressive feeling from decaying social relationships during the communist system here and my psychological problems that time.
What are some of your as-yet unfulfilled creative dreams or aspirations?
I have one unfulfilled dream. There is a pedestrian tunnel, several hundred meters long, near my home. It is an unpleasant place (maybe a little bit dangerous as well), tiled with small white tiles, and many people are afraid to enter it - especially at night. I would like to replace the white tiles with coloured ones. Many different colours should create complex fractal patterns. The problem is that I need a lot of workers for it. How about a rich sponsor - anyone??
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Arts
Encaustic
The Medium of Molten Wax Colour
)
"Biblical
Landscape"
2000
38" by 22"
Wax on Paper Board
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to view
Enlargement
The
Infinite Fractal Loop
A web ring dedicated
to fractal art.
Sacred
Science
A website out of California
that deals with parallels
between modern science
and ancient mysticism.
)
"Strange
Bird"
click to view enlargement
