Proceedings of The National Conference

On Undergraduate Research (NCUR) 2010

University of Montana, Missoula

April 15-17, 2010

Conceptual Process: A Contemporary Investigation of Encaustic Painting

Jason Adams

Art Department

The University of North Carolina at Asheville

One University Heights

Asheville, North Carolina 28804 USA

Faculty Advisor: Virginia Derryberry

Abstract

Encaustic paint is created when beeswax is melted and then mixed with pigments such as organic materials or oil

paint. The nature of encaustic painting relies on an exchange between the addition and subtraction of translucent

layers. To create the paintings, wax was applied to wooden panels in layers that were then fused to each other by

applying heat with a torch. The layers were then scraped and repaired with more wax, creating a relationship of

patterns within the cyclical process. Through investigating this ancient medium, the artist conceptually linked the

physical process of building and removing wax layers to notions of growth and decay, which have been used as

metaphors for the various aspects within a person’s spiritual life. The materials used in the encaustic process were

also examined for the inherent meanings within their characteristics, as in wax representing what is eternal because

it is non-biodegradable. Substances such as dirt were embedded in the wax to relate physicality to spirituality.

Rather than depicting literal examples of growth and decay, the artist has chosen to work with abstract imagery and

to focus on materials and processes. This approach to concept in art relates to the work of Wolfgang Laib, a German

installation artist who uses materials that give sustenance, such as rice, to visually communicate hope. The project

has resulted in the production of a series of fifteen encaustic paintings that exemplify growing a surface through

building wax layers, and then “causing decay” by scraping into these layers. The result is more a process of

destruction and repair, which references the ongoing struggle within spirituality. Through intensive studio research

of encaustic painting, connections have been drawn between the process of painting, the meanings of the materials,

and the spiritual notions of growth and decay, destruction and repair.

Keywords: Wax, Process, Spirituality

1. Defining Encaustic Painting

“Encaustic” is essentially heated pigmented wax. The term literally means to “burn” or to “heat.”

1 Beeswax or

paraffin wax is heated in griddles, crock-pots, or over a fire until liquefied and then combined with dammar resin,

which helps to harden the wax once it has been removed from the heat source. The wax and resin make up what is

called the painterly medium. After the resin has completely melted into the wax, the mixture is stirred and is then

ready for the pigment to be added. The pigment necessary to add color to the wax can be in the form of powdered

paint, oil paint, or even organic matter. The wax, resin, and pigment conglomeration becomes the substance referred

to as encaustic paint. The encaustic paint is then generally applied with a brush or a ladle to a hard surface, such as

a wooden panel. The wax is a liquid when it is removed from the heat, and then immediately begins cooling and

therefore solidifying once it is applied to a surface. The paint can then be carved, scraped, or covered with another

layer of encaustic. For the stability of the painted surface, the subsequent layers should be fused together with a heat

gun or a torch.2

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2. Conceptual Framework

The purpose of this project was to research the process and materials involved in encaustic painting through

extensive studio time, in order to relate the actions involved in painting to ideas concerning spiritual realms. In

terms of artistic concept, the words “growth” and “decay” are used metaphorically to describe positive and negative

motion throughout a spiritual journey; a spiritual journey being an attempt to follow and believe in a force that is

unseen. The two key words are used indiscriminately in that neither term is ascribed solely to positive or negative

movement, but merely changes in spiritual states. For example, in the human body, cell death is imperative in the

growth rate of a tumor.3 Scientist Gordon Steel has performed immense research on apoptosis, which is the life and

death cycle of cells, which explains the connections between cell loss and proliferation, especially in regards to

tumors.4 Here arises a type of cause and effect scenario that is paramount to the overall concept; when one portion

increases another must decrease. Essentially, change provokes change. In Clouded (fig.1), overlapping imagery

representing cellular formations builds upon this idea of constant movement within the internal portions of the

human body. However, where cells exist in defined spaces, the cells in this painting are set within an ambiguous

atmosphere, as if the cells are figurative and existing within an unknown spiritual realm. The lack of clarity given to

the viewer by the artist allows for personal interpretation and even reflection, thereby creating an opportunity for

viewers to engage with spiritual thought.

In this study, physicality and spirituality are deemed philosophically inseparable in regards to a living human. The

reason for this assumption is rooted in the personal premise that an individual operates in both tangible (visible) and

metaphysical (invisible) realms as a singular human being. The intention behind the studio portion of the

investigation is to make paintings that represent directional fluctuations in the spiritual life of a person actively

living in both realms, and does not include ideas about afterlife. It is through seeing the connection between body

and spirit, the tangible and the intangible, that the action of making art (tangible) and the idea being expressed

(intangible) are parallel reflections of each other.

Figure 1. Jason Adams, Clouded, 2009, Encaustic, Oil, Beeswax on Birch Panel,24”x24”

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Further examination of the concept deals with what is perceived about the connotations of these two terms. While it

seems generally common to describe a tumor as “growing,” it is certainly not regarded as a positive attribute of

one’s current health status. This notion is consistent in most thoughts about behavior. If a person “grows” in their

ability and willingness to lie, this change is also not generally considered to be positive. Likewise, if that person

“decays,” or changes into someone who is less willing to lie, then “decay” in this sense is understood to be positive.5

Therefore, the terms “growth and decay” are useful in describing the occurrence of change but may not be used to

designate between whether a shift is positive or negative. It seems then, that the correlation between growth and

decay would also be consistent between the body and the spirit. If one affects the other, then the sum of a person’s

individual positive or negative outpourings is a reflection of their internal human condition, the spiritual state of

being.

Using art as a format for physically describing this continual aspect of spirituality is the starting point for the

studio portion of the research. The process of painting is guided by the concept in that the paint surface “grows”

through applied layers and is then subjected to “decay” through scraping and scratching. The goal is to build the

surface through transparent layers in order to give the painting an observable growth process, which allows the

viewer to see how the painting has transformed. This is relatable to the scientist who has the opportunity to

gradually watch the remission of a tumor as communities of cells die during medical treatment procedures. The

difference is that with an encaustic painting, it is possible to show the various effects of the entire process

simultaneously.

Figure 2. Jason Adams, Detail of Clouded, 2009, Encaustic, Oil, Beeswax on Birch Panel,24”x24”

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3. Methodology The research began by examining the concept through the process. The marks created through this method are the

result of working intuitively with the materials. As a portion of the wax is applied, a mark is created, much in the

same manner that a pencil is used to leave a trace of graphite on a piece of paper. This wax mark is then responded

to in the form of another mark. In an effort to avoid an overly systematic approach to painting, the marks are

sometimes made through applying wax while at other times they are created through scraping wax away from the

surface. In this way the surface is treated as a three-dimensional object, rather than a surface that is then painted or

drawn upon. There must be a balance within the instinctive versus the preplanned, in both painting and spirituality.

A plan can be formulated, but the possibility for unexpected occurrences does exist. Anticipating what the wax will

do under heat is easily discernable; however, knowing when the wax will react to the heat holds a higher level of

difficulty. By manipulating the amount of heat applied to oil paint applied directly on the surface of the wax, marks

reminiscent of cellular forms are created (fig.2). Digging into these forms deteriorates portions of the imagery while

reapplying heat to the area of decay causes the oil paint to once again come alive, forming more cellular references.

While the process is immensely important to the project, the fact that the resulting imagery references cells

coincides with the concepts of growth and decay, linking back to the research of apoptosis. Regardless of the

intention to make forms, the imagery derived through the process is more important to the content of the work.

Figure 3.Jason Adams, Five Lives #2, 2009, Encaustic, Beeswax, Dirt on Birch Panel, 12”x12”

As the paintings developed, the importance of the materials being used became much more significant to the work.

Since it is not biodegradable, beeswax holds inherent meaning as a substance that is permanent. Wax can therefore

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be metaphorically classified as eternal.6

In comparison to paper for instance, wax is quite permanent. Paper will

break down through natural deterioration yet it simply becomes another material. The fibers will decompose into

particles that merge with the dirt. The change involved in decay inevitably moves the original material into a

completely different substance than what had existed before. Beeswax differs from materials subject to the reality

of decay in that it is consistently the same material regardless of inflicted changes. Bees may add to an existing

amount of wax, but the added substance is still wax. Humans can certainly remove wax from a hive, but the wax

remains constant to its nature as a substance. Wax can be mixed with dirt, and then melted, strained to remove the

soil, and return to its original state.

Seven paintings were devoted to the use of wax and dirt to draw connections between materials that represent the

spiritual and those that represent the physical. Dirt is of interest because it is the site for both growth and decay. By

combining the two materials the dirt has been removed from its visual context and used to create a space reminiscent

of stellar activity or possibly cellular activity. Some pieces even seem to resemble a swarm of insects, such as in

Five Lives #2 (fig. 3). These visual relationships add to the concept of a cell’s relationship to the universe, and a

person’s relationship to spiritual realms. In other pieces such as In and Out #1 (fig.4), the nature of interior versus

exterior has been emphasized while also continuing to combine dirt and wax. The process was kept consistent with

the other pieces by applying layers of wax over the dirt, scraping and then repairing. There is a fusion between the

materials in that they become one plane of existence together, and yet separate as different materials. This notion is

similar to a person being both body and spirit, and yet the body and spirit are not the same. If heat were to be

applied to the paintings the wax would melt and could be separated from the dirt emphasizing the fact that beeswax

may change through things being added, or taken away, but it never transforms at its core.

Figure 4. Jason Adams, In and Out #1, 2009, Encaustic, Beeswax, Dirt on Birch Panel, 12”x12”

In this way wax seems to have eternal qualities, and it is therefore arguable that wax can contain meaning for

growth, a pure spiritual growth, the movement of a human spirit in a positive direction. For any substance or form

to move in a direction, regardless of the velocity, the movement must take time. Despite the fact that pure beeswax

has no need to grow into anything else, the passage of time continues while wax exists according to its nature. Wax

is a fixed substance; it is complete.

With the implications that are imbedded within the molecular makeup of wax, the material can easily become a

prime subject for provoking contemplation about the spiritual nature of things. When used with this intention,

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encaustic painting contains serious implications as an artistic medium. Every time it is used, the wax signifies

something about eternity. Oddly enough, it also exists as a tangible entity within the physical world. Wax of

course, is not the only substance existing with physical tangibility that holds meaning as something permanent.

However, in regards to artistic process, the inherent meaning within a material must be considered when creating a

piece of art, such as in the case of wax and permanence. This thought alone has posed problems within this research

project.

Wax becomes problematic because it is a difficult medium to work with in order to insinuate that both portions of

the juxtaposition (growth and decay) are present within a single painting. To resolve the conceptual dilemma, paper

was included in the paintings, in hopes that the material would maintain as much meaning of decomposition as does

wax in regards to growth. In Tear #1 (fig.3) the artist has grown the surface through seven layers of wax and tissue

paper. The layers were then fused with a torch so that each layer adhered to the others, forming one mass of

material. Using a ceramics clay tool, the layers were scraped into, removing the paper and somewhat destroying the

surface. Repairs were made to the surface by filling the resulting craters with clear wax. In keeping with the

conceptual intent, the process of building and removing these materials, and then rebuilding them, reflects the

cyclical characteristics of growth and decay in nature. The artist is reinforcing this growth and decay, the building

and destroying of the piece, which relates to a person’s involvement in their own spiritual life. By embedding the

biodegradable paper into the wax, the rate of actual decay for the paper has been stopped. While the process of

painting relates to spirituality, the eternalizing ability of the wax takes precedence over the temporal qualities of the

paper.

Figure 5. Jason Adams, Tear #1, 2009, Encaustic, Tissue Paper, Watercolor, Charcoal on Birch Panel, 24”x48”

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4. Conclusion

In conclusion, the experience of creating encaustic paintings has verified that the process of painting is relatable to

the concept being presented. The unsuccessful realization of the project is that no actual decay occurred.

Philosophically however, it is conceivable that paper will always represent decay. If wax is growth through time

that maintains its eternal nature as wax and nothing else, then materials that decay are also eternally so. They will

decompose into another form of matter, and then through natural processes of growth become something else that

will inevitably decay again. What these materials will never do is become a substance that keeps its same form

forever; they will never become wax. In the case of this research however, wax actually stopped decay. This brings

about ideas for another research endeavor, which is to study the ways that the eternal can actually stop a material

from decay, and how this relates to spiritual transformation. The artist continues to add other organic materials,

such as dirt, into encaustic paintings to explore meanings within materials, as in the detail of Five Lives #4 (fig.6).

As has been noted, dirt is a place of growth, as in the case of plants, and also the site for decay. Combining the two

ideas into one material raises questions of how to move forward with the paintings in a way that does not disturb the

core concept while also progressing the idea. As of now, the wax is written about as eternal, but wax is also a

symbol for life in the sense of the bees and fertility. Taking the notion of preserving that which is temporal inside of

that which is eternal, and also taking a deeper look into the meaning behind the materials, this research has

developed pathways for the investigation of encaustic to continue.

Figure 6. Jason Adams, Detail of Five Lives #4, 2009, Encaustic, Beeswax, Dirt, 12”x12”

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5. Acknowledgements

The author would like to express his appreciation to the University of North Carolina at Asheville Undergraduate

Research Program for providing the funding necessary for this research project. He would also like to thank faculty

research advisor Virginia Derryberry for her guidance and hard work during this project.

6. References

1. Mattera, Joanne. The Art of Encaustic Painting: Contemporary Expression in the Ancient Medium of

Pigmented Wax. (New York: Watson Gutpill Publications, 2001) 9.

2. Ibid.

3. Potten, Christopher and James Wilson, Apoptosis: The Life and Death of Cells. (New York: Cambridge

University Press, 2004). XI.

4. Ibid.

5. Smith, Tom W. “The National Spiritual Transformation Study.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 45.

(June 2002): 290-91,http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=20858213&site=ehost-live.

6. Rivenc, R. and M. R. Schilling. “Comparative Study of Three Different Kinetic Models Applied to the Ageing

of Archaeological Beeswax Used as a Paint Medium.” Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry 93. (July,

2008): 245, http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=32852910&site=ehost-live.