Today’s featured artist, Miya Ando Stanoff, works in an artistic medium that most of us would probably never even think of dabbling in. . . steel.
Her paintings are delicate, abstract landscapes created with chemicals and metal pigments that are etched, glazed, or burned onto a solid steel “canvas” and then finished in coats of lacquer.
Miya’s work is very minimalist—extremely so, in fact. Some, like this piece, are merely shades of metallic grays, often divided by a single horizon line.
Steel also lends itself to soft glows and gradients which makes that sudden, sharp contrast between “earth” and “sky” (or is it sea and sky?) so much more striking.
I love the slight curve of that line too, because it adds to the impression of distance while visually “holding” the upper section in place.
And when there’s color in Miya’s work, it’s usually a bold red or blue, as seen in this next minimalist sunset or sunrise.
Brushed lines appear on the steel, as if to symbolize waves, or ripples in the sea. A single streak of white lances across the sky, reflected in the waters below.
I hesitate to describe it much more, because as such an abstract piece I think it really represents the possibilities, or ideas, of “landscape” as a whole—and yet it does it in the simplest way possible.
Miya also makes sets, or series of paintings which I find fascinating since they mimic the idea of printmaking while being (I assume) nowhere near as mechanical a process.
The thought of grinding, etching, or burning multiple metal plates to appear exactly the same is rather daunting, to say the least, but the outcome is certainly impressive.
Perhaps the most appealing quality in Miya’s work, however, is the complete calm that imbues her artwork—and the fact that these ephemeral landscapes exist only in steel.
To see more of Miya’s paintings, please visit her website at MiyaAndoStanoff.com and click the “gallery” link on the right.
