Tag Archives: environmental art

My artwork seen from space

Wow – what a surprise! I just realised that Google has updated their satellite views, and one can clearly see my land art installations ‘Salt Circles’ right from outer space! Isn’t that cool?

Land art installation ‘Salt Circles’ by Imke Rust, as seen on Google Satellite View. (Correct Coordinates: 22° 36’ 21” S,14° 31’ 51” E)

I have taken this photo from my screen, but you can go and have a look on Google Maps/Satellite View yourself. (Coordinates: 22° 36’ 21” S,14° 31’ 51” E)

Even if one cannot see each circle on its own, one can clearly see the smallest and largest circle and some lighter/white shade in between.

And I have another special treat for you! Outer space pictures are amazing, but looking very closely at something is equally breathtaking. Here are some close up pictures, taken by my father a few months after completion of the installation:

chestnut banded plover in the centre of my salt installation

Chestnut banded plover (near threatened species) in the centre of my salt installation

While photographing the salt circles for me, my father noticed this chestnut banded plover (thank you to Jean-Paul Roux for pointing out the correct name) in the centre of the circles, and the bird did not want to leave, dispite all the action. So on closer inspeciton my father found the reason why it was spending time in the centre of the salt circles:

Strandloopertjie nest with eggs

Yes, she has choosen the salt ridges of the circles as perfect shelter for laying her eggs. 🙂 🙂 🙂

The artwork was supposed to be a symbolic blessing and protection of the surrounding land. The concentric circles were selected as a shape to symbolise the outward ripple-effect which I hope this blessing and protection would have. To me the nest of the bird seems to confirm in a small but beautiful way, that my intentions are recognised and appreciated by nature.

Another close-up view

For more information and pictures of this artwork, click here.

Tread Softly

Frozen Easter Eggs

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If you can’t beat them, join them…

I guess that applies to the weather too. If you cannot beat the cold – play along.

So that is what I did for Easter. As I already mentioned in my previous Easter post, I am not really into the whole Easter thing and much to some people’s despair I only ever follow rituals or parts of them, which seem like real fun to me, when I am in the mood for it or if they make some other kind of sense to me (and that does not always need to be the rational kind of sense 😉 ) .

Since we were invited for an Easter dinner and I recently read something about freezing water in balloons, I decided to create some frozen Easter eggs, suitable as an ephemeral gift for the host’s garden and the icy cold weather.

The Process

I filled water into balloons and hung them in the freezer. After the water was frozen, I peeled off the balloon.

Now I boiled some beetroot peels (the rest of the root was turned into a yummy raw salad) to get a natural and environmentally friendly colour for the red egg. Only at this stage I remembered to take photographs of the process. I used commercial food colouring for the other two eggs as I ran out of time for being more creative in making my own colours.

Boiled beetroot peels create a lovely red colour…

…which I used to paint the frozen ice/egg

The eggs were stored in the freezer and then transported in a padded cool-box to our dinner hosts.

Easter eggs stored safely in the freezer

The Result:

Then the Easter bunny (i.e. me) could not decide, where to place the eggs, to get the best visibility – these eggs were not made for hiding after all. After trying the pretty white snow blanket of the back yard, I decided it is best to place them right in view of the front door, even if there was not an ‘all white’ dense snow covering as I had wished for.But they would be in plain view of everybody leaving or entering the house.

The Easter eggs in their full glory

Easter Eggs viewed from the top

Much to my joy, they were well received…. 🙂 And we were treated to a delicious meal and lovely evening.

The bunny left some frozen Easter eggs at the front door…

And if they have not melted, they might still be there today…

Wishing you a great remainder of the week!

Finally the rain has come to Namibia

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Just a brief update, on two of my previous posts. Let me start of with a quote, which is very central to my understanding of what this is about:

Gratitude in advance is the most powerful creative force in the universe. (N.D. Walsh)

Some time ago I posted two stories about ‘calling the rain’ in Namibia, “Waiting for rain” and “Secret ingredients for making rain“. Namibia has been really dry and many people were/are afraid that this will be a year of a disastrous drought…. (you can read more of my thoughts about this at ‘Where are the clouds?‘).

Now, finally the rain has come to Namibia!!! Whoohoo…!!!

Besides being really happy about this news, I had to smile to myself, as it just proved to me, that the sending out positive intentions with the rainmakers is really working.

We just have to be patient and keep on believing. Even if it takes a bit longer. Trusting that everything is the way it should be and it is good. Just wait without fear, knowing that everything that is is a blessing. Our prayers will be heard, our needs will be taken care of! So count your blessings (really do) and praise each one of them.

Over the past few months I have made several different ‘rainmakers’ to remind myself to keep on believing in the rain and that it will come, no matter how bleak the forecast looked or how many people exclaimed their fear and worries. Each time I make one, I consciously imagine the rain falling and saying thank you to the universe that it has always provided me with everything I needed.

It does not need to be an elaborate artwork, Sometimes I even think the easier they come and the more fun they are, the better. It makes it easier to feel joy and gratitude in my heart. And I think that helps to focus the energy and my desire for rain and not on getting a ‘perfect’ piece of art out there.

Here are some of my rainmakers:

Another ‘Rainmaker’ which I have made in January in Namibia ©ImkeRust

‘Seeing the Clouds’ – a digital artwork of superimposing a raining cloud onto a satellite view of southern Africa/Namibia by Imke Rust ©

‘Cloud with the Flower of Life’ – digitally manipulated photograph by Imke Rust ©

After the first good rains we all hope and pray that it will keep on raining, till we have enough to overcome the next dry season.

Inspiration to others and their contribution

Some friends have liked my rainmaker idea so much, that they have decided to make their own rainmakers and that surely played a big role and contributed to making it rain 😉 . Here is an photo from a rainmaker, which my brother’s girlfriend Amanda has made:

Amanda’s Rainmaker ©
What she wrote about it: it has alot saying and meaning to it. If you look close.
A. Clouds bonding. B. Protection for Our Solar System, The Sun C. At Full Moon there is Poaching, so I created the Stars and Moon, with a Cross that Protect the Wild Animals, there is an Oryx. D. Grass should Grow very High. E. Flowers for the Bees. F. Enough grass for the Cattle. G. Enough Water from the Clouds, going Left to Right. And it has worked somehow.

How cool is that?
It feels great that my ideas and work keeps on inspiring others, and they come up with their own unique and beautiful artworks or rituals.

Thank you, dear universe, for all your blessings and sending rain our way! By the way, I am still eagerly awaiting spring/summer over here in Berlin… 😉 – but I am sure you have already made a plan for that too! 🙂

Hello Summer

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Hello summer – where are you?

On Friday this was the view out of my studio:

View from my studio – it is snowing…

So I decided to cut a stencil to welcome the summer… (as you can see, I am still struggling with the weather here in Berlin…)

Stencil – Hallo Sommer ©ImkeRust

Just to make sure that the welcoming note will be understood in Germany, I have used proper German, even though I liked “Hello Summer” better. Guess I am still more comfortable thinking in English…

And Sunday my boyfriend and I have planned to get out of the city and drive to a tiny forest on a tiny hill which we have discovered some time ago, the Lindenberg. I love these outings, as I can always find something fun to do, to interrupt the long walks my boyfriend loves to take. As you can gather, I am not that fond of endless walks…

So here are some photos of what happened when we were not walking:

Hallo Sommer (Dark soil on snow) © Imke Rust

I took along the stencil and decided I wanted to use eco-friendly materials. Fortunately I found some really dark earth from mole heaps close by to make this.

Hallo Sommer (Dark soil on wood) © Imke Rust

Trying out the stencil on a dead tree, which was more difficult because of the round shape…

I brought some Curcuma powder along from home, just in case I would not find any other suitable materials to use, and because of the warm yellow colour. So I had to try that out too. I was not all that happy with the result. Unfortunately the wind had picked up a lot making it difficult to pour the powder without spilling over the edges. The sieve which I used to add the dark soil in the previous pictures also did not work for this one, as the powder was to fine… and so to much powder plopped down… Anyway, I still like the warm colour 🙂

Hallo Sommer (Curcuma on snow) © Imke Rust

Hallo Sommer -Close-up(Curcuma on snow) © Imke Rust

And finally, a picture of me taking pictures of another work, which I hope to share at another time. Hint: I am the one hiding beneath all those layers of clothes…

Me, packed warmly, taking photographs © Imke Rust

Wishing you a wonderful week!

Waiting for Rain

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It is very hot and dry. All Namibians are yearning for the rain to come. So am I.

I have decided to make another, small ‘rainmaker’ work and place it in my garden in hope to set the right energies free to let there be rain. I have made my first “Rainmaker” artwork in 2010. You can click here to be taken to pictures and information on that 🙂 .

For some time now I have been experimenting with the idea that combining creative energy and ritual with the right intentions should be able to influence the ‘reality’. In simple terms: I am trying to figure out, if a rain dance can really produce rain.

And if so, what ingredients are needed? Are there specific magical forms, rhythms, sounds or actions that are needed? Do we really need to dance to get rain, or could it be another creative expression? (Since I am not a dancer, this question is actually quite on top of my list…)

While I am still hoping to one day stumble on a copy of “Rain Dancing for Dummies”, I have settled to do a lot of reading in related matters, from traditional beliefs and cultures from all over the world to artists who have explored similar concepts, like Joseph Beuys.

And while I am at it, I thought, it will not harm to start experimenting with it already. So here are some pictures of my drawing of a raining cloud made to focus the intention on the reality which I would like to see and feel.

I have made it a few days ago and yesterday there were some promising clouds but no rain. Today there are some more clouds, so I am keeping my fingers crossed… and my intentions focused on the cool refreshing wetness of rain…

Rainmaker on my stoep (local word for verandah)

Rainmaker on my stoep (that is what Namibians call a verandah)

20cm high flat stone, sepcially collected for this purpose from the Namib. I made the drawing with white Chalk drawing.

+-20cm high flat stone, specially collected for this purpose from the Namib. I made the drawing with white Chalk, so that it can wash off with the first rain…

Some clouds in the sky in the day I have made the drawing.

Some clouds in the sky on the day I have made the drawing.

Screaming for the Namib (Part II)

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After my last post, where I have shared a pretty cool and fun video of my art (inter)action “An infinite scream passing through the Namib“ (Click on the title to be taken to that post if you have missed it), I had a request to post some of the photographs which I took from the participants.

So here is a selection of some of my favorites: (to view the full image, please click on the thumbnail picture)

Makafa Screams by ImkeRust(c)

George Screams (c)ImkeRust

JanDaniel and Niece Scream (c)ImkeRust

Helia Screams (c)ImkeRust

Britta Screams (c)ImkeRust

Isabel Screams (c)ImkeRust

Burkart Screams (c)ImkeRust

Jasoni Screams (c)ImkeRust

Postcard with several ‘screams’ Help Save Our Environment! (c)ImkeRust

During the one hour before sunset we managed to get 18 people (all complete strangers except for my dad) to scream for us, even though they were all ‘silent’ screams.

Don’t these photographs make you feel like joining in the fun and scream?

Interview on the German radio

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Do you understand German and would like to listen to an interview about my latest art exhibition?
Then I invite you to please tune in to the NBC German Radio Station on Sunday, 13 January 13 at 18h00 (Namibian time).For those of you who are not living in Namibia, you can listen to the interview on NBC’s livestream via the internet @ http://96.31.83.87:8110/ . If you have missed that one or cannot make it, don’t worry, there will be a re-broadcast on THURSDAY at 22h00 (17 January).

The program’s name is Kaleidoskop and it will feature a 30min interview with me, hosted by Annemarie Brell. The interview will give you an insight into my views on environmental art, we are talking about my works that have been exhibited recently in Swakopmund at my solo exhibition “…and I sensed an infinite scream passing through the Namib” and I share information how the works originated and what my intentions are.

Many people have commented that they have really enjoyed my earlier brief interview done in the beginning of December, just after the opening of the exhibition, so I hope this will be equally interesting. 🙂

You can find more information on the radio station’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/germanradio