Gary Justis’ monoprints utilize the forms of various chandelier profiles to explore color, form and seriality in the print medium. He began the series in 2011 with Baroque, Venetian and Modern chandelier forms, continuing in 2016 with Rococo and Murano chandeliers.
The genesis of this project was a large chandelier profile that the artist cut from an aluminum sheet for an element of a sculpture and video installation. For the prints, Justis essentially drew the chandelier forms with a torch as he cut them from aluminum or galvanized steel sheets. The chandelier forms were inked and printed over grounds of various colors built up with layers of ink printed from a woodblock, embossing the image into the paper. The chandelier prints dovetail nicely with Justis’ sculptural output in that they are literally prints of sculptures. Metallic inks were used in many of the prints, resulting in wonderfully reflective surfaces and enhancing the idea of the chandelier as a source of light.