The Tephra series by Marcin Rusak emerges from the depths of raw, elemental beauty and the awe of natural forces.
Borrowing its name from the geological lexicon denoting hardened volcanic debris, this collection offers an intriguing fusion of the transient and the eternal.
Rusak employs meticulously sourced flowers as the principal medium for his creations, placing them atop sculptural formations fashioned from a melange of metal and jute. A revolutionary thermo-coating process bathes these unique arrangements in a paper-thin veil of molten metal. This metallisation process immortalises the fleeting splendour of blooms, capturing an almost Pompeiian tableau of silhouettes shrouded in volcanic fragments.
The artistic process involves a symphony of stitching, bending, and welding, yet these meticulous interventions harmoniously coexist with the delicate fragility of the flowers. The industrial intensity of the metallisation process softly engulfs and slightly obscures these artistic manoeuvres. The resulting sculptures, encased in flowing streams of liquid metal and fine-tuned by hand to attain either a glossy or muted finish, hint at the likeness of monochrome bas-reliefs. They pioneer a fresh avenue of discovery for the studio.
Marcin Rusak, born in 1987 in Warsaw, Poland, is a creative artist and versatile designer. His work is all about exploring value, the beauty of fleeting moments, and visual appeal. His grandfather was a passionate gardener who spent his life creating new types of flowers by mixing different varieties.
Although Rusak's work doesn't directly continue his grandfather's passion, he shares a similar love for flowers. He sees them as a range of colors and shapes that can reveal new and exciting ideas when used in different ways.
In his work, Rusak blends research, everyday objects, and large-scale displays to create a visually engaging story. He likes to focus on the small details that others might miss and show everyday things in a fresh, new light.
