More recently, Verdes has started to look into the history of pigments and where they come from, the development of colour over time, as well as paying attention to the chemistry and how this affects paint’s longevity. From this, He has become increasingly fascinated with earth and metal pigments and has collected samples from nature and processed these into paints by hand. The limitations of these handmade paints reveal inconsistencies and imperfections; becoming visible on near-perfect surfaces, where unground pieces of material provide painted areas with splintered, speckled or gritted textures. Verdes will often use photographs of buildings, walls, landscapes and architecture as references for colour, composition and scale. Outcomes can often take on a sculptural form, becoming more like object than surface.
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