Red ochre made the Greatest
Painting in the World list!
The Altamira cave paintings were featured in ARTnews.com Greatest Paintings in the World; 10 Luminarires cast their ballot. I am excited to see these magical images of raw earth featured still so highly in contemporary art.
Altamira Cave Paintings, Cantabria, Spain. “As I understand it, these paintings were made 15,000 years ago by people lying on their backs painting the ceiling by torchlight a mile into a dark cave. The images were a distillation of actual sights seen. The Altamira Cave paintings remain ritual, spiritual, essential, and magical.” —Richard Serra, artist from ARTnews.com
RED OCHRE ON EXHIBIT
When I paint I paint predominately on the floor, a little Jackson Pollock of me I guess, and as I use raw, dry red ochre mixed with water, there always tends to be a little spillage over onto the floor. Being a sacred commodity in my studio, I couldn't just sweep it up and throw it away! So I decided to exhibit it. Marked off its territory in my studio, it will be on display for this First Friday and many more to come till it naturally just disappears.
Red ochre spill approx. 24"x30"
RED OCHRE IN AUSTRALIA
One of the first places that my research lead me in the world of red pigment was Australia. I found myself looking at aboriginal art and traditions with red ochre and that is where the linking of civilizations through red ochre began. I realized the vastness of red ochre in the earth and how accessible it is in most areas. Continuing on this path throughout time and civilizations the one thing that was a continuance was red ochre.
RED OCHRE/VERMEER
Vermeer sometimes used red ochre as his first layer in his paintings. How incredible to think that some paintings there is a such a rich red underpainting!
The Little Street, 1657-58 Johannes Vermeer
http://www.essentialvermeer.com/palette/palette_red_ocher.html#.Vi5kGGSrRDQ
Red ochre is iron oxide hematite that is found almost all over the world. This rich, natural pigment has played a part in art history since the very beginning. Not only playing a crucial role in art history but red ochre has been used in so many other different ways. Through this pigment I feel like we are all connected. Red ochre seems to be the blood flow of our earth.
Check out what hematite is according to geology.com
http://geology.com/minerals/hematite.shtml
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