ELKYMY. ‘Streams’. Acrylic and polyurethane on 4 canvases. 36 x 24 inches each (91.5 x 61 cm)
Textural 3-dimensional paintings inspired by organic forms and flows found in nature. Created as a diptych and as part of a series of works entitled 'Streams'.
The textural terrain of the surface comprises of an initial application of polyurethane foam which was first applied onto the surface of the canvas, then shaped and scraped using various tools and impediments. Due to the chemical nature of the expanding foam, which requires moisture to expand before curing to form a solid three-dimensional surface, left to its own devices or with minimal intervention, the foam will expand and cure to form a solid three-dimensional structure that has a puffy, cloud-like quality.
The foam can also be modeled by using tools to shaping and scraping to created textural effects evocative of those found in natural landscapes. However, despite the intervention of the artist’s hand, the foam has a certain quality of fluidity as it continues to grow and morph in shape and size before it eventually dries out and cures. The ‘formlessness of foam’ and the unpredictability of its final form can be seen as a manifestation of the spontaneity of nature
A driving force underpinning the artistic vision of these works is the artists’ preoccupation with the search for the perfect balance –– the equilibrium between the agency of the artist's hand, the spontaneity of the materials, and the interaction between the pigments and paints themselves.
ELKYMY. ‘Streams I’. Acrylic and polyurethane on 2 canvases. 36 x 24 inches each (91.5 x 61 cm)
'Streams I' by ELKYMY
Acrylic and polyurethane on 2 canvases
2020
36 x 24 inches each (91.5 x 61 cm)
‘Streams I’ was executed using high quality professional grade materials and mediums from the Liquitex and Golden Acrylics Professional range. Done on two Fredrix Pro Series 12oz stretched cotton canvases with a depth of 1.3", making framing unnecessary. The works are also finished with archival standard sealant with UV protection (Golden Polymer Varnish) which gives a protective flexible dust-resistant surface. This varnish is removable with ammonia for restoration purposes if needed.
‘Streams I’ seeks to connect disparate worlds - traversing between physical bodies of land and sea, and metaphysically, as manifest in the synergy between the individual and collective consciousness of man's psyche.
ELKYMY. ‘Streams II’. Acrylic and polyurethane on 2 canvases. 36 x 24 inches each (91.5 x 61 cm)
'Streams II' by ELKYMY
Acrylic and polyurethane on 2 canvases
2020
36 x 24 inches each (91.5 x 61 cm)
‘Streams II’ was executed using high quality professional grade materials and mediums from the Liquitex and Golden Acrylics Professional range. Done on two Fredrix Pro Series 12oz stretched cotton canvases with a depth of 1.3", making framing unnecessary. The works are also finished with archival standard sealant with UV protection (Golden Polymer Varnish) which gives a protective flexible dust-resistant surface. This varnish is removable with ammonia for restoration purposes if needed.
'Streams II’ depicts an imaginary landscape where barren desert and rock meet jagged coast and reef.
ELKYMY. ‘Streams III’ . Acrylic and polyurethane on 2 canvases. 36 x 24 inches each (91.5 x 61 cm)
'Streams III' by ELKYMY
Acrylic and polyurethane on 2 canvases
2020
36 x 24 inches each (91.5 x 61 cm)
Steams III depicts an imaginary landscape of large vermillion cliffs, sculpted by the wind and sea, meet the warm emerald waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The blood red rocks recall the red porphyry cliffs of the iconic Ogliastra coast of Sardinia. Created as a diptych, 'Streams III' also connects disparate worlds - traversing between physical bodies of land and sea, and metaphysically, as manifest in the synergy between the individual and collective consciousness of man's psyche.
ELKYMY. ‘Streams’. Acrylic and polyurethane on 4 canvases. 36 x 24 inches each (91.5 x 61 cm)
What truly also connects Streams, as its title also implies, is the versatility of the manner in which each picture is composed (textural three-dimensional forms of cured foam), as well as through the use of commentary colours in each respective diptych.
As such, the artworks can be viewed and appreciated in a myriad of arrangements as these images show.