Heidi Stålnacke: In the Meadow
A mixed media sculpture.
How would a meadow feel, taste, and smell if experiencing it were only based on memories? The artist's goal has been to create beautiful reflections of nature from garbage and make the viewer long for what has not yet been lost.
The image surface is made of disposable straws. The material was especially relevant to the working process because the EU had finally decided to ban the production of disposable straws and also other plastic disposable cutlery. The artist has received material for her works, e.g. from food companies. If the product's packaging breaks in the store, it is no longer sellable.
Stålnacke is particularly interested in transparent plastic surfaces and how light reflects from them. Plastic is a contradictory material: at the same time distressing and interesting. There is also a hidden ancient light in plastic. The most common raw material for plastic is petroleum. Over a long period of time, oil has been created from prehistoric plants and marine organisms that have been buried under stratified soil. The chemical energy of fossil fuels, such as petroleum, is solar energy collected by the vegetation of the early days of the earth.
