Portrait 2
In this photomontage from the mid-1980s, McCafferty demonstrates step by step the process of his solar burn paintings.
To be read vertically, from top to bottom and left to right:
He first prepares the paper by painting it in the studio, then brings it to his rooftop workspace, places it on the ground, and arranges metal objects on top, mostly nails, securing them in place.
Next, he wets the paper with a hose so the metal rusts, leaving imprints that become part of the painting. He then returns the paper to the studio to finalize colors and design.
Multiple layers of painted papers are stacked and returned to the rooftop, placed on a slanted board. Sitting on the floor with a large magnifying glass in one hand, he focuses sunlight onto the paper, burning through the layers. Each burn reveals the underlying layers, and he repeats the process until the work is complete.
Sequence of twenty-five photographs, 4 × 6 in. each, mounted on graph paper, 20 × 30 in. Courtesy of Cirrus Gallery, Los Angeles.
Portrait_002
