Media:oil, paper, ink, varnish Dimensions:2.5" x 3.5" Date of Work:2003
This small painting is one in a series of eight desert landscapes using vintage book papers on canvas. The canvas and papers are sized, inked with a calligraphy pen and glazed with oil paints. The unstretched canvas is mounted on museum board.
The inspiration for the series is my father's childhood exile from his beloved home reflecting the constant (often forced) migrations of our Romani ancestors. Nomadic people traditionally make art very small or work in textiles because compact or rolled objects are easier to travel with. Tribal nomads also recycle absolutely everything and often rescue scraps and discards giving them new life as evocative and decorative works of art. I have continued this tradition of working in miniature with found objects and ephemera.