Heidi Gustafson’s ‘Book of Earth’ Takes a Visual Journey Through the World of Natural Pigments — Colossal



Art history sciences

#colors #Earth #Heidi Gustafson #nature #pigment

There’s more to ocher than the deep golden hue squeezed out of a tube of paint. “Colour is related to matter, as much as light,” Heidi Gustavson he told Colossal in a recent interview. “Indeed, in ochres and earth pigments, it tends to be the metallic elements (iron, copper, lead, etc.) that are responsible for our color experience.”

The Washington-based artist and founder of the Early Futures Ocher Archive (previously) marvels at the different hues of the naturally occurring minerals beneath our feet. In his new earth book, published by abramshe takes us on a journey through rare pigments and their landscapes in a celebration of what he describes as the material’s « behaviour, capabilities, being, language, needs and concerns ».

Each chapter of Book of the Earth is devoted to one aspect of the Gustafson archive, which contains more than 600 specimens. The volume clarifies the world of natural color, challenging our perceptions of the terrain and the inanimate world, and includes practical advice and techniques for creating your own pigments. Find your copy at Bookshelf.

Photo by Chiara Zonca

Photo by Sheena Callage

#colors #Earth #Heidi Gustafson #nature #pigment

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