Alquimia Verde LV

1987

Olga de Amaral

(Colombian, 1932-)

Colombia, 20th century

plain weave with supplementary weft: cotton, linen, gold leaf, gesso, oxide pigments

Overall: 165.4 x 102.9 cm (65 1/8 x 40 1/2 in.)

Gift of Camille and Alex Cook 2014.711

Location: 229C Contemporary

This artwork is known to be under copyright.

Description

Using unconventional materials—delicate gold leaf, here—the pioneering fiber artist Olga de Amaral creates works inspired by the landscape and history of her native Colombia. A revered material in pre-Columbian cultures, gold was plundered and exploited by European colonizers in South America. By using gold, the artist references these complex, interwoven histories: “As I build these surfaces, I create spaces of meditation, contemplation, and reflection. . . . Tapestry, fibers, strands, units, cords, all are transparent layers with their own meanings, revealing and hiding each other to make one presence, one tone that speaks about the texture of time.”