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Mixing Fossils & Minerals With Contemporary Art


AJ Plai

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As a collector of fossils, minerals, art and ethnographic objects. I am quickly facing the issue of space limitation. I simply don't have space to display everything LOL, so obviously some space sharing needs to be done.

So I am experimenting with ways to display these objects together while trying to maintain some form of theme and connectivity among the different collectibles. Luckily since some of my art collection are surrealist work with strong theme related to nature and iconography of deaths (skulls and carcasses of creatures) I have found my minerals and some fossil specimens like petrified wood to actually blend in quite well with the framed art work:

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I think our fossils and collection are not always limited to having to be paired with scientific or natural history artwork, prints or objects, but can perhaps work quite well with other kind of contemporary objects or art.

May be there are many approaches that can open up potential to spice up your display and collection pairing with other seemingly non-fossil & non-geological objects.

Just thought it would be interesting to share. :)

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LOVE the display!

The immediate thing that came to mind when I read the title was incorporating the fossils into a work of contemporary art. Since I am currently trying to teach myself to paint landscape scenes with oil, I find the whole thought intriguing.

The more I learn, I realize the less I know.

:wacko:
 
 

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Thx :)

That sounds like a neat art idea for sure. I am in the process of experimenting with ways to display some of my fossils with art-like & sculpture-like arrangement myself.

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When I looked up fossil art on google image search is showed almost exclusively slabs of fossils being displayed as art. There was a cool display in Germany with some very hefty prices - gorgeous pieces though and very large.

I've had a local gal cut some of my pieces where they stand as sculpture, which is very cool. I think I have some pics in the "junk fossils" post on the general disc. tab.

But I think that there is so much more that could be done with fossils. I did do an image search for shell art, but not much there struck me.

I would like to incorporate the fossils into a canvas painting perhaps by slicing the canvas and siliconing the fossils in with perhaps an extension of what they may have looked like alive. 3D

The more I learn, I realize the less I know.

:wacko:
 
 

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Gallery for images of Fossil Jewelry, Sculpture & Crafts
 

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Yes, certainly I think there is a lot of potential what you can do with fossils as artistic object. Your canvas painting with fossils sounds like it would make a really nice mixed media contemporary art piece!

I have also been collecting or more like knit-picking :P for specific Madagascan ammonites of various sizes and different kinds of opalescence to create a growth series sculpture-like display that looks like the ammonites are floating 3D in mid-air. That should make the common and fairly cheap fossils like the Madagascan ammonites transform into expensive-looking museum-like display specimens ;)

Good luck with your art project! Looking forward to see them for sure. :)

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I have been pondering with a few ideas, one is to use metallic stands that I usually have them custom made for my fossils - the stands will probably be extended vertically with differing heights for each pieces in the growth series or alternatively, I could use clear acrylic bases instead of metal one.

Alternatively, I could use fishing threads to wrap those ammonites and connect them to a hanging apparatus like a mini chandelier.

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Love the chandelier idea! You could also check them under longwave UV to see if they are fluorescent and that may add another dimension to the display at night.

Another thought would be to find a great piece of artwork that works with the ammonites and attache them to the art with silicone. Depending on the art and your personal tastes, some you could embed into the art, you could use the silicone to create a raised surfaced, embed the ammonite in that and press sand around it to look like an actual seabed. Lots of ways you could go!

Even create a dimensional seabed in one of those glass topped coffee tables.

The more I learn, I realize the less I know.

:wacko:
 
 

Go to my

Gallery for images of Fossil Jewelry, Sculpture & Crafts
 

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The UV light or some kind of light on ammonites chandelier sounds very creative! Either that or I may try to put my ammonite displays in one of those glass dome (with the "cabinet of curiosities" specimens style) and decorate the base into some kind of seabed diorama or with colorful minerals or geodes like amethysts, calcites or red corals like a zen stone garden but with a contemporary geo-decor feel.

The fossil on art canvas sounds very cool too, I might explore more and give that idea a try on my Green River Fish mural project (still in knit-picking for specimens stage also, lol).

Thx for the neat ideas and inspiration :)

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