THE GREAT WORK

Alchemy aimed to convert lesser metals into more valuable ones and was the foundation of early science worldwide. Many alchemists sought to create gold, while others searched for the elixir of life. During the post-Renaissance period, however, alchemy declined as early chemists shifted toward empirical research, laying the foundation for modern chemistry.

Art shares many similarities with alchemy—it transforms lesser materials into something greater. In The great work, Paluzzi explores this concept through seven abstract, metallic pieces that follow the seven classical stages of transmutation. Each steel plate undergoes a chemical transformation as metallic solutions layer metal onto metal, following alchemical recipes.

A bare steel plate is placed in a salt bath overnight to cleanse the metal. The next morning, solutions containing silver, iron, copper, and gold stain the plate through chemical reactions. As the reaction occurs, I agitate the bath to create unique patterns. Some reactions take minutes, while others take days. Once complete, I remove the plate, let it dry overnight, and varnish it to preserve the final form.