ANTHROPOCENE XX

Brown coal surface mine Vrsany, Czech Republic

Used materials: brown coal, raw clay, raw kaolin, drilled concrete, acrylic, metallic and iron pigment, natural charcoal, canvas

Description:

This is the one of the works from the "Anthropocene" series. In this cycle I deal with humanity's ability to transform large landscape units for our own needs using modern technological processes. Often without regard to the possible consequences. The transformation of the landscape then changes not only its external appearance, but ultimately also the behavior of the flora and fauna, which is either completely destroyed or partially adapts within large landscape areas. This change affects both biological and geological processes not only in a given location, but on the entire planet. And this has a negative impact on human society. Some works from the “Anthropocene” cycle are created using a combined technique, in which I bring characteristic materials from the depicted location (coal, local deposits, pigments, etc.), which I incorporate into the picture along with other materials such as synthetic asphalt, ash, coffee and natural pigments. The resulting work is partly made up of materials from the given area, which then help to complete the authenticity of the picture.

The work shows the Vršany surface brown coal mine. It is one of the surface mines of the North Bohemian coal basin, located in the foothills of the Ore Mountains in the Czech Republic. The work is created by applying and gluing variously coarse fractions of brown coal and clay that I collected in this coal mine. I supplemented these natural pigments with raw kaolin pigment from the kaolin mine in Kaznějov and crushed recycled concrete. Acrylic paste is used for the sky. For some details, I used natural carbon, acrylic, and metallic and iron pigment. All materials are applied or glued to raw linen canvas glued to kappa board.