JAY BURTON TRACY | Works on Paper
untitled #861, 1996–1997
on lana printmaking paper mounted on wood panel
(shown in welded mild-steel frame)
62 1/4 x 11 1/4 inches, 63 1/4 x 12 1/4 inches overall
collection of the artist
untitled #520, 1994
iron-silver salt photoemulsion on lana printmaking paper
7 1/4 x 10 1/4 inches
collection of the artist
untitled #519, 1994
iron-silver salt photoemulsion on lana printmaking paper
7 1/4 x 10 1/4 inches
collection of the artist
photoemulsion used to make untitled #519
and #520 was colorless and invisible until tray
developed in the darkroom. its use anticipates
by a decade my first forays into thermogenic-
drawing-based mixed-media work and, by
two decades, the type of layered mixed-
media paintings i first produced
in my santa fe studio.
note: my very first experiments
with heliogenic photoemulsions
were conducted in my westmoreland
basement studio in portland in 1994.
palmer building studio (baker city, oregon)
westmoreland basement studio (portland, oregon)
untitled #861 reinterpreted as a silk runner, 2004–2005
produced in collaboration with dorje contemporary using
fair trade materials and labor sourced in sikkim, india
14 feet x 2 feet 3 inches
collection of the artist
i designed this fair trade, hand-knotted silk
rug in response to an invitation received to
participate in an exhibition of artist-designed
rugs at the I/M/A gallery in seattle, washington.
i created an eleven-color vector map
of an existing heliogenic work (untitled #861,
shown above) which then had to be translated
into colors aligned with the pantone color
matching system. the resulting pms colors
were then translated into custom dye colors.
a team of dyers and weavers located in sikkim,
india, working over a period of six months,
dyed and spun the raw silk which ultimately
became this 100% hand-knotted,
100% hand-dyed spun silk runner.
i am grateful to everyone
involved in this project.
untitled #861 reinterpreted as a silk runner, 2004–2005 (detail)
in eleven custom hand-dyed colors
west berger street studio (santa fe, new mexico)
dorje contemporary (seattle, washington & sikkim, india)
