Object Description
TENDER IS THE NIGHT (PALMS AND GOLD LEAF), 2019
Archival Pigment Print on Museum Glass, hand gilded with Rich Rose 23.4 carat Gold leaf, Framed
69 x 55.5 cm, in bespoke frame
“Taken on Hikkaduwa Beach, Sri Lanka as the sun was setting; casting its golden rays along the beach…
The image endeavours to celebrate the noble presence and elegant sway of the ubiquitous palm tree. The palm tree has many symbolic meanings and in this image, I wanted to highlight its association with immortality and regeneration with the addition of gold leaf.” – Valda Bailey
About the Artist, Artwork and the work process:
Valda Bailey (b.1958) is a British artist and photographer. Her work is greatly informed by her background in painting and influences come as much from artists as photographers. Her objective is less about portraying a literal representation but rather conveying feelings evoked by the landscape and she achieves this using various techniques to blur detail and abstract shapes.
“I am primarily driven by an exploration of colour and form. My objective is to bring an emotional element and aesthetic balance to my work. I try to depict the subtleties of the landscape and am happiest making images from the smallest, most insignificant detail – the challenge being to portray the essence of what is about my subject matter that has taken my eye.” – V.B.
Valda’s Southern Song series is part of a larger project that attempts to explore the Japanese concept of Wabi Sabi. One of many dictionary definitions defines it, as “a way of living that focuses on finding beauty within the imperfections of life and accepting peacefully the natural cycle of growth and decay.” This doesn’t even begin to unravel its complexities; indeed, so intangible are its philosophies that many Japanese scholars will only attempt to illuminate its mysteries through the medium of poetry.
“It came to me in the middle of the night – as these things often do – that to incorporate gold leaf into the finished print would neatly encapsulate some of the elements I am trying to express. Its application would obviously have to be done by hand with all its attendant imperfections and mistakes. Kintsugi – the Japanese art of patching broken ceramics with gold – shares its aesthetic with Wabi Sabi.” – Valda Bailey
Valda Bailey’s work has been featured in national and international publications. She has exhibited widely in the UK and in 2015 was the first woman to be invited to join six other photographers to exhibit at the biennial Masters of Vision at Southwell Minster. Her work is held in numerous private art and photography collections. All Prints on glass are editionned but each piece is unique due to the hand gilding process;
Each piece is individually hand finished by the artist with gold, silver or copper leaf giving the piece its own unique style.
The beauty of the pieces printed on glass are truly revealed when seen in the flesh, which shimmer in the daylight and change constantly as different light sources are reflected off the print.
Impressionist photography has a long history and gold leaf has been used in the art world for centuries.
Valda Bailey’s print on glass utilises contemporary printing techniques with ancient crafts to produce painterly dream-like images.