Dorine Crass
Sculptures
Since 1999 Freelance artist in Berlin
1996 – 1999 Studies of Free Art at the University
Gesamthochschule Kassel with Prof. Ralf Busz and Prof. Dorothee von Windheim 1994 - 1996 Studies at the University of Art and Design
Burg Giebichenstein, Halle
1993 - 1999 Studio in Leipzig
1991 - 1993 Managing Director of the BQE company, Leipzig
1989 - 1991 Work as an industrial engineer
1984 - 1989 Degree in Material Technology, TU Chemnitz
1963 Born in Leipzig
When Sculptures Grow
My sculptures, made of wire and paper, emerge from my fascination with the diversity of forms in nature. My work is based on an understanding of the natural sciences and the will to knowledge, curiosity about inter-
relationships, questions as to the origin and the constant development and metamorphosis of life forms. In my
sculptures I try to use a certain aesthetic to make my thoughts and ideas visible and tangible. What I wish for is an active viewer who takes his perceptions and imagination on a journey of discovery. The sculptures “grow” out of wire and paper; they are very light and fragile. For me, life is easily destroyed, endangered. This also raises the question of how we, as human beings, live together.
“coming closer” is an opportunity to use the resources of the arts to communicate between two very different cultures. Initially my image of Asia was strongly influenced by Japanese aesthetics. I was fascinated by the simplicity of form in Japanese tea ceramics and the method of manufacturing with and from nature. Many people in industrial societies harbor a longing to lead a simple life in harmony with nature, as the Zen Buddhists urge. When I visited Thailand myself, I found none of this. A frantically-paced, loud, hectic modern lifestyle alongside strong traditions, a rigorous form of Buddhism and great reverence for the Thai royal house: my understanding was very slow to develop. But the difference between cultures can also harbor the potential for new things. For a sculpture I am planning for this project I am exploring the formal vocabulary used in traditional Thai art; I will try to apply it to my own forms, perhaps creating a synthesis.
