This series is an invitation to reflect on the different ways we look at natural artefacts. Three stones have been broken up into pieces, revealing their underlying geometrical structures. The crystal-like figures give us a hint as to their rarity, value or even aura. Each facet contains the etching of a microscopic organic tissue, all coming together to form a network of life inside our mineral subjects. The stones end up becoming surreal collages of aesthetically pleasing images initially used for scientific purposes.
The dialogue between the organic and geometric is something I keep on exploring in my work. The intention to combining those two aspects reflect on a will to lessen the gaps between the rational, the sensitive and even the mystical. Furthermore, these prints represent a decision to work in a more environment-friendly way by the use of Tetra Pak. The recycled material is used here in lieu of a metal plate and gives a result close to that of a dry point. The ink used is a soy based non toxic ink that can be washed off with water. In a time of ecological concern, this is a mean for me to ask the question of the artist’s responsibility while opening the practice of printmaking to the search for alternatives.
Luna Haertjens is a 30-year-old printmaker and illustrator living in Brussels. After obtaining a master’s degree in Art History at the ULB, she went on to study the practice of etching at the ARBA. The dialogue between theory and practice, reason and sensitivity, has become the silver lining of her career up until now. Her images are often borrowed from the natural sciences as to explore their aesthetic and more mysterious aspects. In her work she mostly uses traditional techniques like watercolour, pen and ink or etching, while also experimenting with environmentally friendly materials.