Materiality and Method
Each panel in the Nouvelles icônes series is constructed using traditional renaissance techniques, anchoring contemporary digital subjects within enduring physical structures.
The Physical Elements
Exposed Wood
Photographic Transfer
Genuine Gilding
Raw linden panels are selected for their tight grain, left deliberately exposed to dictate the boundary where the photographic figure recedes.
Digital figures absorbed by mobile screens are transferred directly onto the wood, embedding contemporary light within the organic substrate.
Hand-applied 23.75-karat gold leaf forms the halos, translating the cold glare of modern devices into a warm, historic glow.
The Studio Process
Panel Preparation
Image Transfer
Pigment Application
Halos and Gilding
Linden wood is seasoned, cut, and planed by hand. Selected areas are primed with traditional gesso, leaving the remaining grain raw and exposed.
The photographic figure is transferred using a custom gel medium, stripping away the paper backing to leave only the delicate ink layer.
Egg tempera and high-grade pigments are layered around the figure, establishing the quiet, geometric color fields that structure the composition.
A clay bole base is applied to the halo outline, followed by genuine gold leaf, burnished to reflect light from the central figure.
Inside the Montreal Studio
Augustin Rioux executes each stage of the Nouvelles icônes project in his Montreal workspace. The slow, deliberate pace of the physical craft mirrors the quiet introspection of the figures depicted.