Rust Art & Assemblages

Kirk’s proprietary process evolved over 10 years of painting with rust. “I work with an oxidizing agent to a point, sandwiching several layers of archival watercolor paper, then submerge the stack in water,” he explains. “When the inevitable chemical reaction begins, I surrender and, over time, let Nature take its course. She doesn’t make the same pattern twice but does guarantee that something is going to happen as the material breaks down. The delicate intricacies and ethereal images that result are always amazing.”

“My palette is built around rich hues of yellow ochre, orange, burnt Sienna, and umbers that are created from salvaged steel; the greens and browns from oxidized copper and blues from natural plant dyes such as indigo,” Kirk says. Printed on archival paper, Belgian linen, primed canvass or giclee, the work is available in a range of sizes to suit individual design space, artistic proclivity and budget.