Esther Solondz (US American, b. 1964)
Untitled [Rust Portrait], date unknown
rust on fabric
Gift of Karen Moss
15 ½ x 22 ¾” framed
Esther Solondz uses her craft to explore and revel in the transformative processes that natural materials undergo. To create Rust Portrait, Solondz arranged iron filings on cotton, overlayed the cloth with salt, and left the piece exposed outdoors for weeks to develop a rust imprint of a face. This piece reflects Solondz’s abiding interest in natural transmutation (like the chemical change of rusting) as a real-world miracle that the artist can shape by collaborating with the environment.