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Joan Wulf
On:Fire
Exhibition on view: June 1 to July 27, 2019.
Artist's Reception: Saturday June 1, 5-8pm
Artist Statement
Patterned and ephemeral, Wulf’s work embodies her deep connection with the natural world, in particular the elements: water, wood, fire, earth, metal and air. Once points of departure for her paintings, the elements have transformed into “collaborators" in Wulf’s studio practice. She has variously burned, sprayed, oxidized, ripped, glued, and bent materials in her quest to distill nature to its most basic state.
In this body of work, On: Fire, Wulf examines fire’s catalyzing properties and acknowledges its relationship to the extreme conditions of our time — social, political and environmental. She investigates the contradictory aspects of fire, its destructive quality, as well as its integral role as a life source. In embracing this juxtaposition, Wulf works away from rigid binaries and toward a greater harmony that acknowledges contradiction but extends beyond.
The process consists of licking a surface of paper with a flame to harness the unpredictable patterns of smoke. The residue left behind is carbon soot and the results can be mesmerizing, destructive and seductive - all inherent qualities of nature itself.
While fire may be the focus, the work reaches further, utilizing nearly all the elements: smoke as air, carbon as earth, paper as wood. In doing so, Wulf charts the cycle that is the basis for existence, what she calls “that quiet energy that moves through and interconnects all”.
Wulf is a painter and installation artist who reductively explores the nexus of nature and science. She holds a BS from UC Davis and a BFA and MFA in Painting from the San Francisco Art Institute. Her work can be found in private collections throughout the United States and Europe. She currently lives and works in Los Angeles and is a selected member of the Los Angeles Art Association.
Peak
carbon soot on paper
84” x 60”
Drift
carbon soot on paper
84” x 60”
Carbon 1
carbon soot on paper
54” x 41”
Carbon 2
carbon soot on paper
54” x 41”
Carbon 3
carbon soot on paper
54” x 41”
Carbon 4
carbon soot on paper
54” x 41”
Carbon 5
carbon soot on paper
54” x 41”
Carbon 6
carbon soot on paper
54” x 41”
Cluster 2
fire on paper
34” x 26”
Cluster 3
fire on paper
34” x 26”
Cluster 4
fire on paper
34” x 26”
Shadow 2
carbon soot on paper
34” x 26”
Shadow 3
carbon soot on paper
34” x 26”
Shadow 4
carbon soot on paper
34” x 26”
sw11mph
carbon soot on paper
84” x 60”
Click on image
to enlarge.