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Eric Zammitt — Aquagem Edgewise I
Eric Zammitt

Aquagem Edgewise I

2014

Aquagem Edgewise I invites close attention to a process that occupies the boundary between painting and sculpture. Completed in 2014, this horizontal panel comprises 21,500 individually cut pieces of colored acrylic plastic, laminated in dense layers, sliced into strips on a bandsaw and tablesaw, reconfigured into an intricate composition, and then wet-sanded and polished to a luminous, glasslike surface. The result is a work that rewards prolonged looking: from a distance, the eye reads sweeping fields of color and rhythmic vertical patterning, while proximity reveals the staggering accumulation of discrete chromatic units that generate those effects. The aqueous, gem-like quality suggested by the title finds its material equivalent in the depth and translucency the polished acrylic achieves, creating an optical experience no conventional painted surface could replicate. Zammitt, based in Los Angeles, has built a dedicated institutional following, with works held in collections including the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Baylor College of Medicine, the Pomona Museum of Art, and the Museum of Art and History, Lancaster, among others. He considers these panels paintings in the fullest sense, treating hardened acrylic as a form of paint and the studio's industrial tools as his brushes. The work measures 43.8 by 139.7 centimeters and carries a depth of 3.8 centimeters, floating cleanly from the wall without a frame. Signed by the artist, Aquagem Edgewise I represents a mature statement from a distinctive practice, and presents a compelling acquisition for collectors drawn to the intersection of rigorous craft, optical complexity, and material innovation.

Medium
Colored Acrylic Plastic. 21,500 pieces of acrylic plastic glued together, sanded and polished
Overall
Signed
Yes

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About this work

Eric Zammitt, Aquagem Edgewise I, 2014

Aquagem Edgewise I invites close attention to a process that occupies the boundary between painting and sculpture. Completed in 2014, this horizontal panel comprises 21,500 individually cut pieces of colored acrylic plastic, laminated in dense layers, sliced into strips on a bandsaw and tablesaw, reconfigured into an intricate composition, and then wet-sanded and polished to a luminous, glasslike surface. The result is a work that rewards prolonged looking: from a distance, the eye reads sweeping fields of color and rhythmic vertical patterning, while proximity reveals the staggering accumulation of discrete chromatic units that generate those effects. The aqueous, gem-like quality suggested by the title finds its material equivalent in the depth and translucency the polished acrylic achieves, creating an optical experience no conventional painted surface could replicate. Zammitt, based in Los Angeles, has built a dedicated institutional following, with works held in collections including the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Baylor College of Medicine, the Pomona Museum of Art, and the Museum of Art and History, Lancaster, among others. He considers these panels paintings in the fullest sense, treating hardened acrylic as a form of paint and the studio's industrial tools as his brushes. The work measures 43.8 by 139.7 centimeters and carries a depth of 3.8 centimeters, floating cleanly from the wall without a frame. Signed by the artist, Aquagem Edgewise I represents a mature statement from a distinctive practice, and presents a compelling acquisition for collectors drawn to the intersection of rigorous craft, optical complexity, and material innovation.

Medium
Colored Acrylic Plastic. 21,500 pieces of acrylic plastic glued together, sanded and polished
Dimensions
overall: 43.8 x 139.7 x 3.8 cm
Year
2014
Signed
Hand-signed by the artist
Seen at
Venice Art Walk Benefit Auction

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Collected by

Sharrissa Iqbal