Metal fountain, soft mountain
The following pictures documents the solo show held at BABEL visningsrom for kunst, in Trondheim 2021. The line of work has sprung out from a longer research around Scandinavian copper mining and the historical use of soap stone. Metals and stones are often perceived as being seemingly hard and unworkable. But when I have engaged with them sculpturally, I’ve been struck by the fact that even this is relative.
Mari Oseland wrote poems as a form of exhibition text, and during the exhibition period, there was also a sound performance by electronic musician Christian Dugstad and tuba player Heida Mobeck, where they played in dialogue with a suspended copper sculpture.
The exhibition is made possible with support from Kulturrådet and Statens Kunstfond
Deep down there are vains, erythrocyt fields
(wood, iron oxide, raw clay, copper, candle, tin)
The work was finalized by lighting a candle, that is inside a mountain of raw clay. On top of the mountain, there is a copper plate with a small mountain made of tin. When the candle is lit, the tin slowly melts, and will drop down three spouts on the copper plate, and rather drastically drip down the sides of the mountain.
The backdrop is a wooden board painted with egg oil tempera and red ironoxide, as this type of red paint has traditionally been a biproduct of copper mining across Sweden.
Photo : Dalström
Instruments for the 20th of November
(copper, fishline)
This work was made to be used under the performance held by tuba player Heida Mobeck, and Christian Dugstad. They attatched contact mic’s to the work, as well as Heida’a tuba, and because these mic’s can also be used as speakers, the actual copper plates became both producers and mediaters for the sound.
We could carve a mold, right here on the mountain
(two part mold carved out of soap stone, tin)
The tin sculpture on the left, is made out of 3 or 4 casts from the stone mold hanging on the wall.
The method of using soap stone as mold material, was used by ancient scandinavian bonze workers. This is due to soap stones ability to hold very high temperature without cracking, it’s soapy surface that easier let go of the bronze, as well as the possibility to reuse it over and over again.
Mountain green(copper carbonate, silk, copper, wood)
Photo : Susann Jamtøy
Photo : Dalström
Loom, room (soap stone from Handöl, soapstone donated from Nidarosdomen restoration workers, soapstone bought in Japan, geologic stone sample from an old mining area, a crucible, slag stone, cotton thread, copper plate, wood, lampoil)
Photo : Susann Jamtøy