Jack Durnford

I found myself in Turkey and Tunisa in the mid to late 1970’s. Being only 19 and having grown up in Washington, this was an entirely new experience for me. I was inspired to photograph the buildings where people lived (not ruins). Just old, faded paint, mortar falling off buildings. Fast forward 30 plus years, I had found these negatives, scanned them and zoomed in. This was my inspiration to create this body of work.

I am often asked what I use to create my works of art (mixed media)? Typically I am using a form of Roman Concrete mixed with various proprietary additives that allows me to create many different and distinctive textures. I add fly ash (reinforcement), it resembles volcanic ash which is a component of concrete.

Sack cloth (burlap) is one of many organic materials incorporated into the artwork, adding a dimension of depth and shadow. My goal is to explore the use of disparate and nan-traditional materials in my work, it’s the opposite of what I am trying to attain.

The use of powdered pigments (rust) over acrylics give me a deeper and richer value within each work of art. Acrylics are sparsely used as highlights bringing the viewer closer for a more intimate experience.