Doug and Mike Starn (born 1961)
Blot Out the Sun #6, 1999
Lysonic inkjet print on thai mulberry and tissue papers with encaustic, printed 2000; mounted to panel, framed, signed and numbered '1/3' in ink and a Fay Gold Gallery label on the reverse.
45 1/4 x 74 in. (114.9 x 188 cm.)

Footnotes:
Provenance
Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Note
'Light is power, knowledge, it is what we want, it is what we need... black is not only the lack of light, black is also the complete absorption of light... Black is the void and reservoir of what we want and need, what controls us.' - Mike & Doug Starn, Attracted to Light (New York: Powerhouse Books, 2003), p. i.

The Starn twins have long been fascinated with the metaphorical symbolism of light and the sun. Their series Blot Out the Sun is comprised of images of tree branches, their dendritic forms intertwining to absorb and obscure the light. This exploration of contrast cleverly blends the conceptual with the material. As a tree transforms light into material through photosynthesis, so does a camera through photography; in this way, the medium is reflected in its subject. The layering of pigment and hot wax over the print furthers the obfuscation of light and alters the surface of the print. The process of creasing, tearing, and piecing together the prints emphasizes the transience of the moment and the photographic truth it holds.
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This lysonic inkjet print, on thai mulberry and tissue papers layered with encaustic, is in generally excellent condition. As is typical of the artists' process, the following are present: handling creases, abrasions, and pinpoint-sized impressions, none of which should be considered condition issues. The application of the encaustic has left the print with an uneven surface texture. Sold framed.