2015 Catalogue Archive

Layers of wax quietly build up in this minimal work by artist and designer Douglas Little. Solve et Coagula – Latin for “solution and coagulation” – refers to an alchemical phrase often interpreted as “dissolve the body and coagulate the spirit.” The idea of dissolution and coagulation mimics the process of encaustic painting, where wax and pigment are combined with heat, layered, and then allowed to dry to create a thick, translucent surface.