Thursday, December 17, 2009

Modern Icons

In her Tucson studio, MF Dondelinger prepares paper plates using rabbit skin glue to size them and then paints the backs and front border with acrylic paint to further protect the surface from the elements.
Charalito Chihuahua Chub, Egg Tempera, 23 Ct. Gold, Rabbit Skin Glue, Acrylic on paper plate, 8" diameter, MF Dondelinger
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Developed at the Jentel Foundation residency in Wyoming in the fall of 2009, this new series focuses on the cornacopia view of nature combined with principles and the materials of traditional iconography. The images feature plant and animal life listed on the U.S. government endangered species list. They employ the same materials that would be used for traditional icons: egg tempera, 24 carat gold leaf, rabbit skin glue. However the surface is deliberate and intentionally disposeable, compostable and biodegradeable -paper plates - instead of the long lasting 1" thick poplar wood panels typically used for icons.

As San Francisco writer Tony Tulathimutte observed, "The use of paper plates as the support medium is an intentional and conspicuous departure from traditional iconography. An orthodox icon commemorates the noble sacrifice of the devout, and so is created with tremendous care using precious and long-lasting materials. On the other hand, the sacrifice of animals by humans could hardly be called noble—it’s a tragic waste, and the use of the plates highlights the role of waste itself in that process. They’re cheap, convenient, and disposable, but to throw them away would be to destroy something precious and unique. When extinction is the subject, the sacred remains sacred, but nothing is permanent and nothing is redeemed."

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