G w e n d o l y n P l u n k e t t

Statement

Human skin, our largest organ, is a collection of tiny cells and nerve endings,  each cell and nerve programmed to function in a specific way. As our skin protects us, it exposes us at the same time. Age, race, and health can often be determined by the appearance or condition of the skin. Skin’s color, more often than not has been an indicator of status and privilege. Humans in all cultures throughout history have painted, pierced, scarred, tanned or lightened their skin to set themselves apart, to create a bond, to punish, negate, or to make themselves more beautiful or sensuous.

Some of these notions above provide points of departure for my visual explorations regarding notions of beauty within a historical and culturalcontext. I strive to keep the work in this series non-representational in form, while at the same time creating surfaces that are physically suggestive of some of the concepts and ideas above. The translucent nature of the encaustic medium – beeswax, tree resin, and pigment - further suggests organic skin-like surfaces.