SPOTLIGHTSPOTLIGHT
SALT - THE FORGOTTEN CURRENCY
At The Elevator sponsored event, a host of the art world’s glitterati turned out for what was to be a very saline show. Eiman Aziz introduces us to the artist
When we think of investments in art, history has taught us that most successful artists have a recognisable medium one can spot from far away – a language of art. Bettina Werner has created an entire language with her textured salt technique translating to all who encounter the unique salt artworks around the globe. Bettina Werner studied at the prestigious Brera Academy of Fine Art in Milan. She was the first artist to exclusively utilise salt as an artistic medium and has immersed herself in this ancient element for more than 25 years. “‘Salt belongs to the sphere of divine and stands far above human,’ as Homer says. It was a form of currency, a derivative of the word ‘salary’. When I began incorporating salt into my paintings I found magic occurring in each single crystal. So I began amalgamating it with the colours I would create and it seemed to pronounce their essence exponentially.” Featured in The Wall Street Journal as an artist making “stake” living in front of the New York Stock Exchange, as opposed to the saturated art market of the Chelsea or Soho galleries, Werner said, “As an artist, I like to be in a place where there is a lot of pain and destruction,” referring to the September 11th terrorist attacks that occurred nearby. “There’s an energy that brought me here” Indeed, Bettina Werner has developed a new “currency” for art in a saline old world currency, one in and of itself that was traded as a financial commodity serving as a parallel to her choice of living across from the New York Stock Exchange. Bettina Werner’s paintings, sculptures and environmental installations have been exhibited
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RIGHT: ALL
IMAGES © BETTINA WERNER 2008 PAINTINGS CREATED WITH TEXTURED COLOURISED SALT TECHNIQUE INVENTED BY BETTINA WERNER IN THE EARLY 1980Õ S COURTESY THE SALT QUEEN FOUNDATION, NEW YORK, USA. BETTINA-WERNER. COM
in museums and galleries throughout Europe, Russia and the Americas. Falling on her feet upon arrival
in New York from Milan, one of the top galleries in Manhattan immediately launched her and she was exhibited along with other iconic artists such as Miro, Arman, Calder and many others whilst only in her mid-twenties. “It was the perfect American dream! I was so young and was given an amazing opportunity because people believed in my work. I’m sure it is any artist’s dream to see people respond so
well to their artwork”.
She believes in, “throwing dice to life” and, “that there will always be risks”.
On January 21, 2010 Elevator Magazine along with hosts Michael D Ellenbogen, Eiman Aziz and luxury travel, Indagare, provided their art collectors and investors with an opportunity to meet the internationally acclaimed artist and view her one of a kind artwork in her 21st floor, Wall St loft, overlooking the Stock Exchange, in the Philippe Starck building, in the heart of the Wall Street Historic District.
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