John Currin: In His Own Words
White is by far the most important color. It's what painting is all about.
I was worried that the lead white would soon be unavailable because it wasn't being made anymore. The idea that artist's materials might be banned because of environmental reasons is completely crazy. I was told that most of the new stuff comes from China, and the quality is very different. I used to get so furious about this.
Then I found out that this guy in Brooklyn, Robert Doak, probably the best color guy in the world, had discovered a cache of really good lead white. I bought enough from him to last me a lifetime.
This is the white I'm so excited about. It is luminous, quick drying and opaque, and is a great white in its own right. With the addition of leaded glass has a nice tooth and pull, along with a ropey quality.
It's great when you are painting and the accidental becomes indistinguishable from the intentional. I chose three tubes of Robert Doak's paint from a pile of several others, squeezing out yellow ochre, vermilion, and turkey umber, along with balsam medium in three viscosities and began to paint. I have about an hour before it gets sticky.
Sometimes I might underpaint with cobalt blue black and white, then glaze it with vermilion. It works! The color is different from anything in my paintings before. This is really a big deal!
I inscribed my book I gave to Robert: "With respect and gratitude."
I was worried that the lead white would soon be unavailable because it wasn't being made anymore. The idea that artist's materials might be banned because of environmental reasons is completely crazy. I was told that most of the new stuff comes from China, and the quality is very different. I used to get so furious about this.
Then I found out that this guy in Brooklyn, Robert Doak, probably the best color guy in the world, had discovered a cache of really good lead white. I bought enough from him to last me a lifetime.
This is the white I'm so excited about. It is luminous, quick drying and opaque, and is a great white in its own right. With the addition of leaded glass has a nice tooth and pull, along with a ropey quality.
It's great when you are painting and the accidental becomes indistinguishable from the intentional. I chose three tubes of Robert Doak's paint from a pile of several others, squeezing out yellow ochre, vermilion, and turkey umber, along with balsam medium in three viscosities and began to paint. I have about an hour before it gets sticky.
Sometimes I might underpaint with cobalt blue black and white, then glaze it with vermilion. It works! The color is different from anything in my paintings before. This is really a big deal!
I inscribed my book I gave to Robert: "With respect and gratitude."
