Artworks

In the series of works Tears by Ella Littwitz investigates the natural and metaphorical processes that take place beneath the surface of the Dead Sea. Salt crystals are formed from the groundwater seeping up through the seabed and meeting the salty seawater, creating a field of mushroom-like formations on the seabed. These “salt mushrooms” are harvested by Littwitz and placed on copper plates, where they continue to absorb and release salty water - like tears flowing from wounds in the earth. These tears oxidize as they slowly flow over the red copper, turning the metal deep shades of blue and green. Having been uprooted from their place of origin, these salt mushrooms look like mourners. The sculptures are subject to an ongoing process of dissolution and transformation. Littwitz gives tangible form to the invisible but powerful forces that shape our existence, creating a poetic link between the natural phenomena of the Dead Sea and the human experience of loss and longing.