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Results of February Hangout

16”X24”, acrylic and spray paint on canvas The following paintings are the result of recent experiments using liquid nitrogen to flash-freeze water and oil-based paints, thereby using phase transition as a method of slowing down paint dispersion in a closed setting of simple rules. The majority of the two paintings and the accompanying details were completed during the February 2014 Astronomers Without Borders live google hangout. I’ve used two methods that utilize liquid nitrogen in these pieces. One is by dripping small drops of paint into a container of liquid nitrogen, thereby allowing the paint to freeze into tiny balls, which could then be placed onto a flat canvas or panel. The other method is to drizzle thin lines of paint into the container. Upon contact, the paint instantly freezes into webs that can be transported onto the painted surface before they melt. This drizzling technique had two surprises that I didn’t anticipate. First, the webs did not form exactly how they were dripped, they were much more geometric, and therefore the process seemed to take on a life of its own, achieving a latent result. The second and more dramatic surprise happens in the thawing process. The liquid nitrogen seemed to pull out some of the moisture from the webs, therefore allowing them to maintain their three-dimensional form even after drying. 16”X16”, acrylic and spray paint on masonite There are dangers with this technique, of course. In order to turn nitrogen into a liquid, it must be cooled to about -346°F, which means it... Read More..