Roots
Velvet, gemstones, glass pearls, cotton strings, various sizes, (edition of 10), in collaboration with Leonie Falke, 2020
The mandrake, a nightshade plant has astounding roots which are formed similar to the human body. It's also infamous for its deadly scream emitted when threatened by being dug up. In the Middle Ages the mandrake root had a legendary reputation and could fetch horrendous prices. Since ancient times it has been used for magical potions, as a talisman and for fertility spells. Its most famous use is in the flying ointment of witches. Various poisonous, psychedelic nightshades were mixed with animal fat and then rubbed into the mucous membranes with the help of a broom stick or similar instrument. This potent psychedelic ointment made witches “fly”, helped them shape-shift into animals and send out curses. Mandrake was also used by the common folk as a talisman, that was kept in a box, equipped with precious little dresses and tenderly spoiled by its owner. Laid under the bed it was supposed to help with fertility. It was even said, that if taken in it could change a person’s sex. Often the mandrake was depicted as a human figure from which leaves and fruits are growing. To us the mandrake root is a symbol for an active, intelligent, sentient plant world, an idea that still today is often times questioned by popular science. Through its scream the mandrake becomes an active resistance fighter of the plant kingdom and thus, as a plant-human hybrid, calls into question original views of nature and our relationship with it.
The edition consists of 10 velvet objects enriched with gemstones and/or glass pearls and cotton cord root hair. Each root comes with a spell and a (real) mandrake seed, for you to put into the world or in a pot on your windowsill.
Root (Ingwert), 2020, jasper on velvet, 85×38cm; (click image for detail) SOLD
Root (Ingwert), 2020, jasper on velvet, 85×38cm; (SOLD)
Root (Principessa), 2020, rose quartz and glass pearl on velvet, 101×35,5cm; (click image for detail) SOLD
Root (Principessa), 2020, rose quartz and glass pearl on velvet, 101×35,5cm; (SOLD)
Root (Onyx Radix), 2020, onyx on velvet, 122×54cm; (click image for detail) SOLD
Root (Onyx Radix), 2020, onyx on velvet, 122×54cm; (SOLD)
Root (Beauty Ghost), 2020, glass pearls on velvet, 50×59cm; (click image for detail) SOLD
Root (Beauty Ghost), 2020, glass pearls on velvet, 50×59cm; (SOLD)
Root (Saggio Ciclope), 2020, glass pearl on velvet, 100×45cm; (click image for detail) SOLD
Root (Saggio Ciclope), 2020, glass pearl on velvet, 100×45cm; (SOLD)
Root (Little One), 2020, onyx on dark green velvet, 83×40cm; (click image for detail) SOLD
Root (Little One), 2020, onyx on dark green velvet, 83×40cm; (SOLD)
Root (Saggio Numero Due), 2020, jasper on velvet, 50×63cm; (click image for detail) SOLD
Root (Saggio Numero Due), 2020, jasper on velvet, 50×63cm; (SOLD)
Root (Grey One), 2020, glass pearl on silver velvet, 70×33cm; (click image for detail) SOLD
Root (Grey One), 2020, glass pearl on silver velvet, 70×33cm; (SOLD)
Root (Shaman), 2020, rose quartz and glass pearl on velvet, 85×35cm; (click image for detail) SOLD
Root (Shaman), 2020, rose quartz and glass pearl on velvet, 85×35cm; (SOLD)
Root (Private Dancer), 2020, amethyst on velvet, 80×35cm; (click image for detail) SOLD
Root (Private Dancer), 2020, amethyst on velvet, 80×35cm; (SOLD)
Artist edition by Leonie Falke and Rosanna Graf
Photography by Robert Hamacher
Last photo by Rosanna Graf
Roots
Velvet, gemstones, glass pearls, cotton strings, various sizes, (edition of 10), in collaboration with Leonie Falke, 2020
The mandrake, a nightshade plant has astounding roots which are formed similar to the human body. It's also infamous for its deadly scream emitted when threatened by being dug up. In the Middle Ages the mandrake root had a legendary reputation and could fetch horrendous prices. Since ancient times it has been used for magical potions, as a talisman and for fertility spells. Its most famous use is in the flying ointment of witches. Various poisonous, psychedelic nightshades were mixed with animal fat and then rubbed into the mucous membranes with the help of a broom stick or similar instrument. This potent psychedelic ointment made witches “fly”, helped them shape-shift into animals and send out curses. Mandrake was also used by the common folk as a talisman, that was kept in a box, equipped with precious little dresses and tenderly spoiled by its owner. Laid under the bed it was supposed to help with fertility. It was even said, that if taken in it could change a person’s sex. Often the mandrake was depicted as a human figure from which leaves and fruits are growing. To us the mandrake root is a symbol for an active, intelligent, sentient plant world, an idea that still today is often times questioned by popular science. Through its scream the mandrake becomes an active resistance fighter of the plant kingdom and thus, as a plant-human hybrid, calls into question original views of nature and our relationship with it.
The edition consists of 10 velvet objects enriched with gemstones and/or glass pearls and cotton cord root hair.
Each root comes with a spell and a (real) mandrake seed, for you to put into the world or in a pot on your windowsill.
Root (Ingwert), 2020, jasper on velvet, 85×38cm; SOLD
(tap image for detail)
Root (Ingwert), 2020, jasper on velvet, 85×38cm; SOLD
(click for detail)
Root (Principessa), 2020, rose quartz on velvet, 101×35,5cm; SOLD
(tap image for detail)
Root (Principessa), 2020, rose quartz on velvet, 101×35,5cm; SOLD
Root (Onyx Radix), 2020, onyx on velvet, 122×54cm; SOLD
(tap image for detail)
Root (Onyx Radix), 2020, onyx on velvet, 122×54cm; SOLD
Root (Beauty Ghost), 2020, glass pearls on velvet, 50×59cm; (SOLD)
(tap image for detail)
Root (Beauty Ghost), 2020, glass pearls on velvet, 50×59cm; (SOLD)
Root (Saggio Ciclope), 2020, glass pearl on velvet, 100×45 cm; SOLD
(tap image for detail)
Root (Saggio Ciclope), 2020, glass pearl on velvet, 100×45 cm; SOLD
Root (Little One), 2020, onyx on dark green velvet, 83×40 cm; SOLD
(tap image for detail)
Root (Little One), 2020, onyx on dark green velvet, 83×40 cm; SOLD
Root (Saggio Numero Due), 2020, jasper on velvet, 50×63cm; SOLD
(tap image for detail)
Root (Saggio Numero Due), 2020, jasper on velvet, 50×63cm; SOLD
Root (Grey One), 2020, glass pearl on velvet, 70×33 cm; SOLD
(tap image for detail)
Root (Grey One), 2020, glass pearl on velvet, 70×33 cm; SOLD
Root (Shaman), 2020, rose quartz on velvet, 85×35cm; SOLD
(tap image for detail)
Root (Shaman), 2020, rose quartz on velvet, 85×35 cm; SOLD
Root (Private Dancer), 2020, amethyst on velvet, 80×35 cm; SOLD
(tap image for detail)
Root (Private Dancer), 2020, amethyst on velvet, 80×35 cm; SOLD
Artist edition by Leonie Falke and Rosanna Graf
Photography by Robert Hamacher
Last photo by Rosanna Graf