In collaboration with Austmine’s Copper to the World 2024 Malcolm Koch will showcase his latest series of copper art. This conference has grown to be one of the industry’s leading global copper event, and this year promises the future of copper shines brighter than ever!
Malcolm will have five of his copper pieces on display in the exhibition and entry areas.
The Copper [art] Project
In this latest series, Malcolm was inspired by the enigmatic beauty of copper sheets as a medium to express ‘Membrane Art‘. Every work starts out rolled up. They are essentially sculptured three-dimensional objects. Drill holes, saw cuts, and staining (chemically applied) combine to produce a distinctively textured landscape. The interaction of shadows, stained moments, and puncture marks are captured when the pieces are displayed open on a flat surface.
From Malcolm Koch: ‘”This series is significant for my practice because it uses copper as a medium to give my abstract messaging a greater sense of strength and permanence.”
Each piece uses an oxidised copper sheet (.55mm thick) to create the work. By starting with a curled structure, some with additional internal structural sheets, reciprocating drill holes, saw cuts and patina’s are employed. Once unfurled, some are layered on top using the internal structure as an essential component of the artwork. To slow and stop further oxidation, all artwork has been sealed with a micro-crystalline wax polish, or in some cases mixed in with transparent oil paints.
Copper art- close ups
Copper to the World 2024
With its reputation as the world’s premier copper event, the Copper to the World conference & exhibition offers the most recent information and perspectives on a material that is vital to a sustainable future. South Australia is home to some of the world’s best – certainly Australia’s best – copper resources. It is no surprise that Austmine and the South Australian Government have collaborated to create this annual event. Following the remarkable success of the 2023 conference, this year’s conference has been expanded to two days – with the addition of an impressive exhibition floor, including Malcolm Koch’s copper art.
The South Australian Government’s commitment to lead the world in copper presents an opportunity for South Australia to leverage our abundant copper resources, supporting sustainable economic growth and addressing the global demand for this critical metal, indispensable for renewable energy and climate change mitigation.
About Malcolm Koch‘s art
Malcolm’s abstract copper art works are in a style that he calls “Membrane Art”. A working practice that is characterised by mark makings on curved structures rather than on a flat picture plane. The surface geometry underpins the aesthetic of each piece. So the drilling, saw cuts, patina (staining) processes were all developed through the practice of allowing the curved surface geometry to play a part in creating distinctive expressions before the transformation of flattening the profile. An aesthetic thought that he has been evolving since 2004.
More information:
Malcolm’s work has had numerous solo and group exhibitions, including at RiAus (FutureSpace Gallery) which had two exhibitions: Visual Entanglement in 2016 and Under the Surface in 2014. His work is in numerous private and corporate collections in Australia and overseas. He has been a three time finalist in the Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize. WNSAP–previously accepted entries
