Lichen
Ink on wood panel with firemarks and burning technics
35, 46 x 70, 46 inches

Lichen: These are symbiotic communities between a fungus and a partner that live together. Lichens are fascinating dual creatures consisting of algae and fungi. They can only exist and survive in extreme habitats because the partners involved in lichen format live together symbiotically and are mutually beneficial.

They grow very slowly, with growth often being less than 1 mm per year, especially in the case of crustose lichens. On the other hand, some lichens can live for up to 9,000 years. They can colonize extreme habitats where neither partner could penetrate alone. They tolerate wetness and dryness, heat and cold, and can be found in deserts and semi-deserts as well as in high mountains, in the Arctic tundra, and in the Antarctic.

I am fascinated by the balance, the exchange, and the ever-changing nature, which I see as an incentive and inspiration in my painting. The almost inexplicable, constantly reinventing growth and the associated process of forming and reshaping are metaphors for life, they are door openers for views and visions.

My name is Gaby Roter. I am a German artist based at the border of France and Switzerland. I deal with everyday situations in connection with nature and man. My art technique varies with the respective series I am working on. Lichen on trees is a theme that has been with me for a few years now. Often the drawings of the dead branches are burned directly onto wooden panels with a soldering iron and Bunsen burner. The delicate flowers of the lichen, moss, or mushrooms are drawn with Japanese ink, creating an almost brute crack between the burnt wood and the fine drawing.