Stefan Herda uses intuitive and oftentimes amateur scientific methodology in his practice. He explores our often troubling relationship to the natural world while reconnecting with outmoded technologies and alternative means of making.
Much of his work is realized with homemade inks and dyes sourced from nature. Over time, this interest has encouraged investigations with other unconventional materials.
Recently, Stefan has been documenting the impermanence of these organic dyes through time-lapse video, examining crystalline structures of various household chemicals and incorporating discarded material in creating objects that could be found in nature. Stefan currently lives and works in Toronto.
A New Geology
A variety of rocks, crystal specimens, tools and objects are displayed along with their corresponding chemical formulae.
An array of curios from the collection of Derek York’s work in potassium-argon dating foils objects created recently from table salt.
Crystals used for spectroscopy rub shoulders with pseudo-geological objects.
A Cabinet of Wonder would often combine elements of fantasy, proposing new objects that had yet to be categorically defined. Using this aspect of invention as a starting point, “A New Geology” contrasts geological and lab-grown specimens from the past and artistic representations from the present to foster new understandings into the nature of the crystalline.
A brief commentary on the process