For nearly 40 years, Michael Cochran has been utilizing gold leaf on the surface of sculptures for its luminous and symbolic qualities. The forms are manifestations of many years of his interest in and studies of ancient cultures and non-European philosophies. His work focuses on shapes that represent power and dynamic energy; many of the pieces are derived from cultural objects that are used in healing and tribal/cultural rituals. Their titles come from ancient languages that give each work a name but masks its meaning in the mystery of that language. The gold leaf drawings series began in 2003 and represent a direction toward more specific formal concerns of movement and manipulation of reflected light through the interaction of marks and patterns.
Cochran’s latest series, begun in 2015, is based on tile and carved stone patterns that were observed and photographed during his travels to prehistoric, ancient, and medieval sites in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Since 2003, he has added black ink marks and grid to his preexisting utilization of gold leaf. The goal is to bring the viewer back to the surface but still allow visual access to the inner luminosity of the gold leaf. Each element of the composition is cut before the oil pastel is applied; then, it is re-assembled in a manner similar to the making of stain-glass windows or mosaics. The colors of the oil pastels, based primarily on the ancient Egyptian color pallet, create an additional element in the compositional interaction between the lines, marks, and forms.
