Elsa Salonen: Stories Told by Stones

Completion year: 2018

Technique: stone and earth pigments and alum crystal on glass

Size: muuttuvat mitat

With stone and earth pigments, together with alum crystal, the artist painted images of extinct plant species on glass. The paintings resemble the tropical forests of the Carboniferous Period, which around 300 million years ago greened the present northern hemisphere. The stones that were used as colour pigments for the paintings existed already back then - unlike humans.

According to animist worldview, every natural element has its own spiritual consciousness. Do the many experiences of old stones make them one of the most intelligent persons on our planet? What have they witnessed throughout their lives and what experiences would they share with us if a common language would allow it? With animistic view also the image of natural pigments changes radically. How much of a stone’s consciousness is left in a pigment ground from an azurite?

Artist's page