# 229
Brides of Herculaneum - Cameo
24" x 24" x 4" | Encaustic and mixed media
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Status: Not For Sale
Current Location: By Silvana LaCreta Ravena
Sculptural Painting, encaustic and mixed media. “Brides of Herculaneum” is a branch of my Pompeii Series. Here, I immersed elements in the wax to mimic the lava of Mt. Vesuvius to create the reliefs. Once again, I refer to psychological processes, paying special attention to the concepts of impermanence and time. Thus I chose the figure of the bride as a symbol of the ultimate anticipation that precedes life-changing events. By working with encaustic, an ancient technique, and mixed media, a more contemporary approach, I have sought to build a bridge between those two contrasting worlds, highlighting a temporal dimension. This contrast is further emphasized through other elements like natural and hand-made flowers – the signature element of this series, representing the opposing principles of life and death. Flowers break through the waxen surface or are concealed by waxen strips, impairing the vision, creating the sense that something was prevented from evolving and existing. The flowers, a traditional symbol of delicacy and fragility, are subjected to an environment of repression. The use of non-pigmented encaustic once again refers to temporality. It mirrors the faded colors of archeological remains found in excavations, and draws attention to texture. Here I explore in depth the possibilities of texture, challenging perception.
