The Diptych Project: Transatlantic Fusion
A collaboration between New England Wax & European Encaustic Artists.
The Commons, Provincetown, MA
June 1 – June 11, 2022 (during the 15th International Encaustic Conference)
Mon–Fri 8:30-5, Sat/Sun 10-2
Reception: Friday, June 3, 5-8PM
Anne Curran, “We are All in the One Map”, rice paper and mixed media collage and encaustic & Cheryl Weissbach, Connectedness, encaustic on paper on panel.
This exhibition is a collaboration between New England Wax and European Encaustic Artists. The idea for this diptych project grew out of a desire to expand international creative interchange between artists using encaustic in their work, in no small part due to the social isolation imposed by the Covid pandemic of 2020. An outreach to the European group was made and the project was conceived to further our shared love of the medium, and as an opportunity to develop relationships across the Atlantic. Artists from six U.S. states and six European countries got together to participate, meeting only virtually.
Fifty-six artists were randomly paired between the groups, having agreed only on the primary use of encaustic in their work and the size option for their panels. Each artist initiated a diptych by painting a panel and then sending an image to their partner. The partner then responded by creating a second panel in any manner they chose, resulting in engaging dialogs between the works. While some artists chose to respond to the subject matter, others were inspired by the forms or color and some even chose to use contrasting designs. This has resulted in a colorful, diverse exhibition that demonstrates the versatility of encaustic. The project also nurtured new relationships between international artists. A printed exhibition catalog will be available and a future exhibition in Basel, Switzerland is also planned.
