This week we meet an artist in Canada’s Yukon northern territory
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As a youngster, Colin Alexander copied images from comic books. Later he supported himself during a trip to Ireland by busking as a street artist drawing quick likenesses of people. Later, back in his home of Whitehorse, he painted some huge murals on building walls, in addition to other commissioned work..
And then he discovered a new and unusual medium. Copper. Using thin sheets of the metal and propane torches, the heat (and acid) change the colours of the metal. By varying the heat, he gets different colours to create his works. There is also something uniquely evocative about the copper images.
Copper is one of the oldest metals discovered by man, and its elements sometimes called copper salts, have long been used as pigments in paints, and of course copper has long been beaten into artistic or religious images, statues and decorations, and some artists have used it as a canvas to paint upon.
But it seems there’s not a lot of history of using the metal itself as both canvas and palette, by using heat to change and create a rainbow of different colours. In that way Colin is somewhat of a pioneer.
Today a conversation with the artist about his work and inspiration. I hope you enjoy the art, and our conversation.
Marc
Artists Canada site-Colin Alexander page
Colin Alexander series of YouTube videos
(Theme- “Do Dorota” composed/performed Marc Montgomery)
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