Diana Scherer’s intricate works explore the potential of plant roots as a new material.
Born in Bavaria, Germany, Diana Scherer moved to London to pursue her dream of becoming a fashion designer, but life took a different turn when she met her Dutch partner and had a baby. The family relocated to Amsterdam, where Scherer studied art and photography at the Rietveld Academy. After graduating in 2002, she focused on art photography until a portrait series she made featuring plants and their roots prompted a change of direction. Intrigued by root systems, she began to develop techniques for manipulating them. Just two years later, as well as exhibiting the resulting textile-like pieces as works of art, she’s investigating their potential as new materials.
In addition to her studio in Amsterdam, Scherer has a workspace in Radboud University Nijmegen’s greenhouse that allows her to produce pieces through the winter.
Some years ago you were an art photographer. Today you’re a plant-root artist and a materials researcher. How did you get here?
DIANA SCHERER: I didn’t choose it – it just happened. I became fascinated by plant roots, and to further my work I started collaborating with scientists. Then, with some of my first root pieces I won the New Materials Award at Dutch Design Week in 2016. Suddenly the design world was interested in my work and its potential for developing new materials that are organic and sustainable.
What was the original inspiration for the root pieces?
It all started when I began to work with nature in 2009. I photographed flowers at first, and then I was inspired by a plant that – when I removed the pot – revealed only roots, no soil. I kept the photo of those roots in my studio for two years. Every time I saw it, I thought, I really must do something with that. Eventually, it led to a series in which I grew plants in differently shaped pots, then removed the pots to expose the roots and photograph them.
I was really happy with that series, but not sure how to continue. Then I hit upon the idea of creating patterns using the roots, only I wasn’t sure how to achieve it. I believed in the idea, though, and soon started working with plant biologists at Radboud University in Nijmegen to improve my understanding of root systems. They liked working with an artist, but I don’t think they really believed I could do it. Now they’re thrilled with the attention I’m bringing to plant roots.
Can you describe the process you’ve evolved to create the root patterns?
I use templates: moulds that I place below ground. I have several different kinds, which enable several different techniques. As an artist, I like to show the root work with soil and stones attached. As a designer, I like to show the pieces without soil. The templates are made from PLA plastic and can be reused. The patterns are derived from traditional ones based on nature’s geometry – hexagons, for example. I sometimes work on the patterns with a designer. Once I have my patterned template, I bury it, sow the seeds, and wait.
How long does it take to grow a piece, and how do you harvest them?
Growing time depends on the season – it’s two weeks in July and August. In winter, it’s a month in the greenhouse. Once the plants and roots have grown, I can finish the pieces. I remove the mould, invert the plants, photograph them and keep them alive by spraying them with water. They remain fresh for around a week. Then I dry them quickly so they don’t rot, and I’m left with a textile-like piece. I like to present the three stages together in my exhibitions: the photos, the fresh living works and the dried pieces. The photos show aspects you can’t see with the naked eye – tiny root hairs, for example.
What kinds of plants do you use?
After trying a lot of different types, I find that grasses are best – not common grasses but grains like oats, wheat and corn. They grow fast, and their roots are fairly thick.
What explains your obsession with roots as a material?
I’m interested in the manipulation of nature. It’s absolutely not about being a nature lover. I’m amazed by the duality of gardeners, for example, who say they love plants but are really ruthless in the way they handle them. Bonsai cultivation is actually very cruel. I’m drawn to this mixture of love and cruelty. It’s very basic, because we have always manipulated nature to survive. I really manipulate my pieces, and I leave no space at all for the roots to do what they want. The work is simple: just the naked plant plus manipulation. Another thing I recognize in my work is the human need to decorate the world.
When will we see the first usable new materials that emerge from your work?
I think it will take an additional five years. I’m new to this field, so I’m attending conferences and events, as well as searching for more partners. I may work with TU Delft, for example. I want to make the material as strong as possible while keeping it lovely to look at. Applications could be everything from fabrics for the fashion industry to attractive insulation materials that can be kept visible. Plant roots capture carbon and could be a perfect eco-material. The goal is biofabrication: textiles that grow themselves below ground without using external energy. I find that a really romantic idea.
This is an excerpt of an interview originally featured in our publication One Artist, One Material: Fifty-five makers on their medium. Get your copy here.
