Pearls @ 1600 degrees for 39 hours

The Philippines, Pearl of the Orient Seas, is an abundant resource of pearls, which are valued for their beauty and rarity. Pearls, originating as captured irritants within a shell, collect layers from their environment Calcium Carbonate, Conchiolin and Nacre, to become precious exports. I place pearls and glass into shells, bakes them in a kiln at 1600 degrees for 39 hours and takes microscopic photographs.  The pearls reveal their layers. Embodying the passage of time like tree rings or ripples. 24 hours later, the dehydrated pearls and shells turned to white dust. The glass is a delicate artifact capturing the process of transformation. Schwartz collects the raw material, grinds it into white pigment and creates paint to be made into minimalist paintings. Meditating on the cyclical nature of violence I produces from destruction as an act of generational healing.