Diana Scherer II

 

It is 10 years since I first featured the work of Diana Scherer, in the last decade she has been perfecting her root weaving and growing many textile forms from different managed root growth.

“A root navigates, knows what is up and down, perceives gravity and can locate moisture and chemicals. Roots are incredibly strong. In their search for food and space they fight for every space they can find. I use this strength to create my work. I expose the subterranean life and natural network turns into a textile-like material. The dynamism of the plant makes it seem as if the work is making itself.

I have learned to deal with the autonomy of nature. Despite my intervention, the outcome is unpredictable every time. The interaction of control and letting go is an important element in my work.” – Diana Scherer

 

Diana Scherer I

German artist Diana Scherer has been  collaborating with biologists and ecologists of the Radboud University in Nijmegen, and growing a portfolio of plant matter by encouraging roots to grow into molded forms dictating the pattern of growth and creating a unique natural art form, a root textile. They hope to develop this work into fabric or carpets and this year they plan to grow a root dress.
The fantastic thing about this possibility is that the roots fix carbon dioxide so carbon is fixed in the fibers, helping to remove it from the air.