About Regine Schwarzer
Postgraduate coursework student profiles
Artist
statement
Living in Australia has influenced my work profoundly. I discovered my passion for rocks and minerals which occur in abundance here. For a number of years I have been processing and cutting the stones I use in my work myself. I am inspired by the colours of the stones which I frequently use in my work. While I have a strong background in technical processes, I experiment with these to apply them in new ways.
It is a selection and design process from the beginning. Combinations of materials are selected, perceptible by the senses, tangible structures opposing internal lines and formations, colours harmonising with each other. The successful composition of different materials is achieved by observing design principles, colour combinations, creating tension between geometrical constraint and fractured exposed edges, setting contrast through opacity, strong colours next to lines which are the result of contraction and expansion in the formation process.
Usually stones with impurities are classified as of minor quality, whereas they inspire me to use them as a design element, making them a feature of the finished piece. I like to work from the outside to the inside of rough gem material, responding to its random qualities and colour. Taking off layer by layer I discover hidden landscapes, formations reminiscent of aerial views; encapsulated petrified plants and fossils adhered in the rock are waiting to be discovered.
Cutting a stone is like unveiling the unpredictable and embracing the unexpected. The shaped minerals and rocks are not easily recognised because of the variety of ways I apply them; many of them are only known to geologists. Different, opposing stones will be used in jewellery. Creating wearable sculptures is the aim.
Artist's CV (PDF file, 91kb)
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