Christopher Beeson

Encaustic painting is the process of applying hot, colored wax to a sturdy surface. "Encaustic" is the process of burning in color.

The process of melting wax, applying it to the surface, and moving it around it is physical, instinctual work. It requires urgency and attention. You apply thin layers of wax one at a time, building up layers of color that are semi-translucent. Each time you add a new layer, you have to fuse it to the ones underneath. I use a small blowtorch for this.

I use various tools to cut into and scrape away layers of wax, revealing gradations that flow between newer and older layers of color. The surface of the paintings slowly acquire depth and history by going back and forth in time, modifying which layers are beneath and which layers are on top. Evidence of process is an important aspect of the final pieces.

I hope that the viewer can look into the surface of my paintings and get some sense of time, intention, history, and reflection. This is what the work is about.

BFA Millikin University 1991
- Printmaking and Figure Drawing
MA Reed College 1998
- Art History and Critical Theory