Viviana Lombrozo - Perfect Square 3

Language is an important component in my work. In the “Perfect Squares” Series I make reference to the language of mathematics and it is also a play on words. A perfect square in mathematics is a number made by squaring a whole number. For example, 16 is a perfect square because 42 = 16. The wood panels that I used as substrates for these pieces are also perfect squares. Encaustic painting (from the Greek “enkausticos” meaning burnt in), also known as “hot wax painting” is a very ancient technique. It was probably first practiced by the artists in Ancient Greece, as far back as the 5th century BCE. It consists of using heated beeswax to which colored pigments are added. The liquid/paste is then applied to a surface—usually prepared wood. Once the desired effect is obtained, heat is applied to the entire surface, to bond all the different layers together and to fuse the paint into a uniform enamel-like finish.