Gold Rush
A series of works taken around the area of the gold rush which sparked in early 1848, arguably one of the most significant events to shape American history during the first half of the 19th century. As news spread of the discovery, thousands of prospective gold miners traveled by sea or over land to San Francisco and the surrounding area; by the end of 1849, the non-native population of the California territory was some 100,000. A total of $2 billion worth of precious metal was extracted from the area during the Gold Rush, which peaked in 1852.
I re-visited this area of America earlier this year, most of the land is now deserted, but I have attempted to recreate this atmosphere of chaos in my painting techniques. In these I have used gold leaf and inks as reference to the subject matter.