Oxidant

Original Painting by Karin Lanini Arthofer 
2023, Mixed Media on canvas
“Decay & Rebirth” Series 
90 x 90 x 4 cm 
(35” x 35” x 1.5” in)
 
 
“Oxidant” evokes the natural process of oxidation, in which time, air and matter interact, slowly transforming one another. Nothing remains unchanged: every element shifts, wears away and builds upon itself in layers.
Here, the textures, marks and colours evoke a surface exposed to the elements traces of a slow deterioration that becomes a visual language. Oxidation is not seen simply as decay, but as a process of memory and transformation.
The subtle line of rust running across the surface acts both as a wound and a suture: it marks the passage of time, separating and connecting at once, creating a tension between stability and change, between what remains and what is constantly in motion.
“Oxidant” becomes a reflection on fragility, and on the courage to allow ourselves to oxidise to repair on the beauty that can emerge through alteration and imperfection.