Chris Slabber's 'Life From Stone': A Fusion of Art and Wine

Winner of the Golden A' Photography and Photo Manipulation Design Award in 2017

Slabber's inspiration for 'Life From Stone' came from the way Springfield Estate's wine is made. The estate's philosophy is to create wine as naturally as possible, which led Slabber to create a series of works using found objects and elements from the estate grounds. The simplicity of the artworks reflects the estate's uncomplicated and hands-on way of making wine, allowing for an honest expression in both the artworks and the wine.

Each artwork in the series was inspired and made from objects and elements collected on the estate grounds. The flagship piece, also titled 'Life from Stone', was named after the world-famous Springfield Estate Sauvignon Blanc. Its name derives from the rocky soil in which it was grown. The work was made using photographs of a quartz rock and a piece of the actual grape vine, fusing them together to create a human heart that symbolizes that this plant is the heart of Springfield Estate.

The artworks were made using physical elements collected at the estate, photographed, and then completed using photoshop. The idea was to use a minimal amount of manipulation and rather use the organic nature of the objects to complete each image. This was a homage to their natural philosophy about wine making.

The original pieces are 1189mm x 841mm prints on 240gsm Pearl photographic paper. The print series is based on the narrative of where wine comes from and is exhibited in the estate's tasting room. The idea is to take the tasters/viewers on a journey from Mother Earth to bottle, enhancing the wine tasting experience by adding relevance to the unique product.

The project started in March 2016 in Robertson, South Africa and finished in August 2016 in Oudtshoorn, South Africa. The Series was Exhibited 11 August 2016 during the 2016 Karoo Klassique Arts Festival. The biggest challenge was to find objects with the right characteristics for each piece. As mentioned, the idea was to keep the photo manipulation to a minimum. Too much manipulation would make the images/ideas seem forced, rather than show the purity of nature. For the final execution, the pieces were treated with a weathered look to once again emphasize the handmade approach of Springfield Estate.

Each artwork is inspired and made from objects and elements collected on the grounds of Springfield Estate. The idea is to keep the photo manipulation to a minimum and let the natural forms of the infused objects do most of the work in order to create these surreal images. This is a tribute to the natural way in which Springfield Estate creates their wines. Made on honor.