a rose is a rose is a rose
Bettina Speckner
Galeria Sienna - USA
15 de Outubro a 13 de Novembro
To turn photos into gems, the images are etched on small metal plates or burned on enamel. They become part of an individual composition: precious metals, diamonds, coloured stones and found objects begin to lead lives of their own. Patterns and ornaments arise. Often I employ seemingly banal but peculiar everyday items, forging the sublime and the profane into a new poetic harmony.
I do not work with the intention to decorate things or to make them look prettier. I search to discover the soul of an object or the essence of a photograph and to shape something new which appeals to me and to other people far beyond the optical appearance.
For this exhibition I used text for the first time, creating a group of pieces that draw upon the idea that simply using the name of a thing invokes the imagery and emotions associated with it. Some works came after the text choice and others used the text as catalyst. To 'see' the pieces it is not necessary to know the text, it is used as another layer, transparent yet substantive.
Bettina Speckner 2010
Sheherazade / White Gold, Silver, Markasite, Photoetching in Zinc / 9 X 4.5 cm