Luminous | Encaustic Works by Barbara Vogel
lINN auDITORIUM | mARCH 16 THROUGH aUGUST 3, 2019
Yellow Orchids, 2018, handheld wand digital scan and print, mounted on panel, fused with wax. Image courtesy of the artist.
The enigmatic and luminous portraits and botanical images created by Columbus-based artist Barbara Vogel convey her unique mastery of two challenging media—photography and encaustic.
In her portraits, for example, Vogel intentionally shoots her subject matter out-of-focus with a shallow depth of field using a medium format Hasselblad camera. Using traditional film, Vogel then digitizes, prints, and mounts her imagery on wood, which provides a unique surface for an application of hot wax and pigments, also known as encaustic. This ancient process allows Vogel to develop her signature rich and radiant surfaces, which are further enhanced by her thoughtful application of luxurious oil pigments.
While Vogel’s blend of traditional and non-traditional photography with encaustic is grounded in contemporary technique, her subject matter evokes timelessness.
About the Artist
Barbara Vogel received her BFA and MFA from the Ohio State University. She creates images based in alternative photographic processes. Her work is in the permanent collections of the Springfield Art Museum in Springfield, Ohio, the Southern Ohio Museum in Portsmouth, Ohio, and the Ross Art Museum in Delaware, Ohio. Locally, her work can be seen in the permanent collections of the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital, the Hilton Columbus Downtown, and the Columbus Convention Center.