Donazetti & Rilling
Woven Copper
Available works exclusively on Carrizozo ARTS:
Matt Rilling works:
Through the refractive lens of weaving, I try to capture brief moments of light in the natural environment. My work creates complex, nuanced pieces that will engage an emotional response and an opportunity for meditation. I live near the Valley of Fires, in the high desert, surrounded by mountains, where each day the sky presents new moments of light and color. It is a very inspiring place.
Over thirty years ago, while learning metalsmithing, I began experimenting with painting on copper. First I applied chemical patinas to the copper but the colors achieved were not rich enough. So I experimented with different materials until I discovered a combination of metallic leaf, transparent inks, water and wax. Once I was familiar with this method, it allowed me to truly express myself.
The design and fabrication process is complex and labor intensive, with many layers. The results are random and often surprising. I begin with 36 gauge tooling copper on which metallic leaf is applied. After sanding I paint two layers – the warps and wefts – with transparent inks, liquid acrylics and metallic pigments mixed with water. The colors are mixed directly on the metal. Then I wax the pieces, score and cut them into curves and weave them together.
For the past ten years, I have been teaching my grandson, Matt Rilling, the process of painting and weaving copper. Although he is trained as an aerospace engineer, I am hoping he will continue my art after I am gone. Matt lives in Seattle and I live in the desert. So we are inspired by different places on the earth (and in the universe). Despite the distance, we get together several times a year to collaborate.
You may see my art in such places as Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, CT; The Alaska Supreme Court, Anchorage, AK; The New Mexico Emergency Management Center, Santa Fe, NM; Time Inc. Conference Center, New York, NY; as well as hotels, hospitals and residential spaces. My art is represented by Mark White Fine Art in Santa Fe, NM and Gallery 408 in Carrizozo, NM.
8” x 8”