The Alchemy of Paint - Art, Science and Secrets from the Middle Ages - Spike Bucklow
The Science of Colour: Epilogue
The Alchemy of Paint - Art, Science and Secrets from the Middle Ages - Spike Bucklow
Spike Bucklow [+]
Hamilton Kerr Institute, Cambridge
Spike Bucklow trained as a chemist. He synthesized sex pheromones for cockroaches, then developed materials for use in special effects. His latex creations feature in films including Indiana Jones, Greystoke, Little Shop of Horrors, Princess Bride and the 1980s satirical show Spitting Image. He then studied Artificial Intelligence and briefly worked in technical management consultancy where he discovered art conservation. He gained a PhD in art history, and is now a Senior Research Scientist and Teacher of Theory based at the Hamilton Kerr Institute in Cambridge. He has written about pigment use in art for a number of journals and draws on a wide range of experience to develop his ideas.
Description
This chapter argues that on their own terms, dyes, pigments and metals provide access to the most profound levels of meaning in some of the greatest products of European culture. But that we have forgotten how to appreciate materials as they were appreciated in the middle ages and the products that incorporate them have been priced out of general circulation, now only available remotely or in galleries and museums. This impoverishes our everyday world.