Taking up ephemeral elements like leaves, stones and wood from nature’s bounty and working them into magnificent artworks to endow them with strength that lasts forever, that is the idea that the sculptures of Susanna Bauer incorporate. When you think of crochet, instantly an image of a homely women working arduously with knitting needles comes to mind.
Her sculptures involve the use of crochet to weave intricate patterns in and around the natural objects she works with. Although every art piece that she creates has a deep and moving character of its own, her 2D and 3D leaf sculptures are what she is known for. Her calm and endearing personality lends her the patience to work her needle into something as fragile and brittle as a withering leaf, almost on the verge of crumbling. In some cases she has turned the leaf into three dimensional geometric shapes like cubes and cylinders; the sturdiness of which likens leather.
The objects Susanna Bauer has used are pretty basic but the results are otherworldly. The leaves being used signify decay and the unpleasant process of aging which is a shadow that falls equally on humans as well as nature, signifying a deep similarity between the two. Bauer has used her motherly touch to transform an old and withering object into a beautiful concept which is not immortal yet has a transcendental appeal to it. This poignant synergy between Susan’s needle and the delicate leaf gives hope to the world that despite the dark forces of greed and ambition, humans and nature can still harmoniously co-exist and share a symbiotic relationship.
It seems as if she etches a beautifully poetic narrative into her brilliant marvels of art. Her pieces possess an almost meditative quality because of the laborious concentration that goes into making them. Through her work she wants to bring out the transient yet enduring beauty of nature. Unlike many other artists Bauer doesn’t imitate nature but incorporates it in her artwork.
PHOTO COURTESY – SUSANNABAUER.COM
