Andrew Dadson

Andrew Dadson Mugwort (Chrysanthemum weed), 2020 natural milk paint, biodegradable earth pigments, limestone, chalk, (indigo/cochineal/weld plant), water on inkjet print 14 x 11 inches Edition of 4 + 1 AP; signed, hand-painted Unframed

For a number of years now, Andrew Dadson has employed the act of painting to consider the marks that humans make on their environment, from the incidental to the communicative to the catastrophic. In recent years, he has become known for works in which he paints plant matter with biodegradable earth pigments before photographing or — in the case of his installation works — exhibiting them. Here, Dadson offers an image of Mugwort, a resilient weed frequently found along roadsides and empty lots, one that has uses both medicinal and mystical. Rather than pigmenting the plant itself, Dadson paints here the surface of the photograph, using a milk paint tinted with naturally occurring pigments, such as indigo, cochineal and weld. Each print in the series is hand-painted and unique.

Courtesy of the artist; Daniel Faria Gallery, Toronto; and Galleria Franco Noero, Turin