Fumage - The Art of Blowing Smoke

Candles have been a favourite way for people to light their homes for centuries. Flame has always brought comfort and safety to humanity, even if a little too much can become a problem.

Much less appreciated is the smoke that accompanies the fire. Of course, we are an imaginitive and industrious bunch. Sometime in the 1930s, an artist by the name of Salvador Dalí figured that the smoke from a candle could be used to provide a specific, unique, pattern to paints. Reminiscent of the hazed appearance of dreams and visions, the 1936 painting titled as "Autumnal Cannibalism" was the earliest example of this method being used. This may still be an uncommon method due to the unpredictable patterns of rising smoke, but in my opinion, it means that no two pieces will ever be the same. No two pieces of art that rely on pure randomness will ever be similar enough that they feel identical, even if they match almost perfectly.

The drawback is that I was unable to find a great deal of information on this style, so this post will unfortunately have to end here. I hope you enjoyed this brief glance into Fumage.