Malachite is a copper carbonate hydroxide mineral with a chemical composition of Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 and presents as opaque bands of green in a various forms.
A callout was made by ANU and Geoscience Australia for artists to respond to the specimens in the Geoscience collection. Botryoidal malachite specimens provided inspiration to assemble a series of ceramic elements using only copper carbonate as the colourant. This experimental work was fired in an electric kiln, leaving the result to chance and is presented as Malachite Transformation.
An accompanying segment of a parallel copper carbonate work, Malachite Section, was exhibited beside Malachite Transformation to give the observer an insight into the interior of the work. An eyepiece (x3) could be used to examine this cross section in detail.
The work gives an impression of the variety of the possible states of matter, caught in time with embedded energy.