Another bleach drawing

More Bleach Drawings

Word for the day....

   Autogenous -  self-generated,  from the Greek autos "self" + genes "formation, creation"

 In looking for something to draw in bleach I took inspiration from the bleach bottle right in front of me.  That is when I found I was fascinated with the circular idea of something that is made from itself.  It might be interesting to do a series of artwork where the representation of the subject is produced from itself.

   As far as the other subject goes--
For those who haven't heard of coral bleaching disease  & want to learn a little, here is my short explanation....

Healthy corals form a symbiotic relationship with algae which live within their cells.  The coral "breathes" out CO2 to feed the algae and the algae "leak" out sugars which feeds the coral.  Coral bleaching occurs when the coral expels the pigmented algae from its cells and turns white.  No one seems to know for sure why this occurs but it is thought to be linked to stressors in the environment like increase in temperature (global warming) and pollution which effect this fragile relationship.  Eventually the coral dies (and then only the white skeleton is left).

   Some sources predict loss of our reefs in the next 100 years.  Aside from the their beauty, corals have also been found to contain some substances which may be potential chemotherapy agents.
I hope my drawing disappears long before we loose our coral reefs if either are destined to fade away.

Drawing with Bleach



"Bleached Black Sheep"

   Yes, your mother probably told you not to play with bleach when you were little but despite the hazards it can produce some interesting effects on black paper.  Above is the result of my experimenting with drawing with straight household bleach (in a well ventilated area of course) using wooden toothpicks or chopsticks to apply it to the paper.  I found this new "media" to be very unpredictable when trying to produce lighter or darker lines (more bleach doesn't always create a lighter line--- I think probably that the air exposure/chemical reaction upon the dye in the paper has more influence...should look this up).  Different types of black paper also give different results; anything from browns to coppers, to yellows to faded bluish colors.  The paper used above is Strathmore's Artagain brand.

   Of course this type of art is very impermanent.  Eventually when the whole paper fades your lines will disappear into the bleached void like disappearing ink--it has a definite lifespan.  I like the idea of mixing this concept with the idea/subject matter of the drawing involved.  One of the things I try to consider when thinking about and looking at art is the media chosen.....what is its significance to the work, how would the work change if another material was used.

Rodent Skull