Wintersemester 2010/11,

Fixed Moving

In this project petrified woods are the starting point of the design-led research. They are primarily known for their fascina- ting patterns and are used frequently as decoration elements. The fossilisation and its graphic effects are the outcomes of a com- plex process of the replacement of organic wooden tissue by silica under the influence of high temperature and pressure. This results in stones, which have the structure of wood and the properties of minerals.

The project is laid out as a wide-reaching research, which analy- ses different aspects of fossil's formation from an aesthetic per- spective. it is a personal voyage into scientific correlations and unexpected phenomena, perceived in relation to processes, forms, structures and colour compositions leading to a development of a specific visual vocabulary.

The predominant phenomena can be differentiated into two catego- ries. on the one side we can speak about the construction basics of tree trunks and plants that are clearly visible in fossils. revealed are airy and lace-like structures that remind us of architectonic models or elements. on the other side there are the colour distributions that are bound to the predefined structures and document the partial change and dissolving at the same time.

The resulting objects from this project are not meant to be finalised design prototypes; they are series of carefully cons- tructed material samples and surfaces interpreting fossils and refer to different aspects and states of this natural phenome- non. The potential of their application within design context is clearly recognisable – depending on the scale these structures and surfaces can be used within the contexts of product, textile and jewellery design as well as for architecture. Furthermore the collection of the samples represents an aesthetic research jour- ney, existing as an analogy to the natural manifestations of fossils, making their aesthetic characteristics newly visible.

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