Digital abstract art is represented by the Steinbilder images illustrated in subsequent pages of this website.

"STEINBILDER" ROCK PICTURES is an exhibition of digital abstract art created by Internationally recognized geoscientist - Roger Mitchell. This unique art is produces from transparent ultra-thin sections of a wide variety of rock types, collected over the last forty years during international travel; Arctic Canada, Tanzania, Northern Siberia, India, Europe, Australia, South Africa. The bold colourful images presented here reveal a hidden beauty which is not readily evident in these seemingly mundane rocks. The images are not simple photomicrographs. The majority are false coloured crossed polarized light images; others are scanning electron microscope secondary electron pictures. The false colouring enhances the natural colours and textures. Final versions of the digitally enhanced colours and textures are printed as ink-jet images on canvas, and closely resemble oil paintings.

The images might be mistaken for artistic styles ranging from abstract expressionism to abstract surrealism or cubism. In common with Dada art, all of these images came serendipitously from random samples of rocks; in their textures and colours each image is unique. Some images might strike the viewer as stained glass, others appear to be biomorphic. Intentionally, none of the pictures has scale bars; thus the viewer is unable to determine whether the image is magnified 10 times or 10 thousand times ? or at all, and thus cannot be related to a particular space, orientation or place.

The Artist: Roger Mitchell, originally from Pudsey (Yorkshire, UK) is an igneous petrologist, consultant geologist. Professor Emeritus of Lakehead University and Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He has long been interested in the confluence of art and scientific illustration, which eventually has lead to this exhibition.

An exhibition of his figurative neo-surrealist was previously held at the Hidden Gallery in Yorkville, Toronto.

STEINBILDER - LIST OF PICTURES - ALL IMAGES ARE AVAILABLE AS INKJET ON CANVAS PRINTS SIZES AVAILABLE ARE ONLY 18x24 OR 24x36 INCHES

STEINBILDER SB-1
SYENITE, RED WINE LAKE, LABRADOR, CANADA

STEINBILDER SB-2
HARZBURGITE, BULTFONTEIN, SOUTH AFRICA

STEINBILDER SB-3
LHERZOLITE, FRANK SMITH MINE , SOUTH AFRICA

STEINBILDER SB-4
PYROXENITE, RED WINE COMPLEX, LABRADOR, CANADA

STEINBILDER SB-5
SERPENTINE, DE BEERS KIMBERLITE, S. AFRICA

STEINBILDER SB-6
BARITE, CERRO APOYA CARBONATITE, BOLIVIA

STEINBILDER SB-7
PYROXENITE, MURUN, YAKUTIA, RUSSIA

STEINBILDER SB-8
OLIVINE, LHERZOLITE, ELWIN BAY, CANADA

STEINBILDER SB-9
PYROXENITE, ILIMAUSSAQ, GREENLAND

STEINBILDER SB-10
CRISTOBALITE, LAMPROITE, WEST AUSTRALIA

STEINBILDER SB-11
PYROXENE, MURUN, YAKUTIA, RUSSIA

STEINBILDER SB-12
SERPENTINE, PEUYUK KIMBERLITE, NWT, CANADA

STEINBILDER SB-13
SERPENTINE, CANDLE LAKE KIMBERLITE, SK, CANADA

STEINBILDER SB-14
NATROCARBONATITE, OLDOINYO LENGAI, TANZANIA

STEINBILDER SB-15
CARBONATITE, KAMTHAI, INDIA

STEINBILDER SB-16
SPINELS, BENFONTEIN, KIMBERLITE, S.AFRICA

STEINBILDER SB-17
ANATASE, CATALÃO, BRAZIL

STEINBILDER SB-18
OLIVINE-CHLORITE, DIAVIK KIMBERLITE, NWT, CANADA

STEINBILDER SB-19
LHERZOLITE, BULTFONTEIN, S.AFRICA

STEINBILDER SB-20
LHERZOLITE, FRANK SMITH KIMBERLITE, S.AFRICA

STEINBILDER SB-21
CALCITE CARBONATITE, OKA, QUÉBEC, CANADA

STEINBILDER SB-22
PYROXENITE, PILANSBERG, SOUTH AFRICA

STEINBILDER SB-23
OLIVINE + CHLORITE, ELWIN BAY KIMBERLITE, CANADA

STEINBILDER SB-24
CARBONATE+QUARTZ, MURUN COMPLEX, YAKUTIA, RUSSIA

STEINBILDER SB-25
CARBOTHERMALITE, KAMTHAI, INDIA

STEINBILDER SB-26
PHLOGOPITE, 81 MILE VENT LAMPROITE, AUSTRALIA

STEINBILDER SB-27
OLIVINE LAMPROITE, SISIMUIT, GREENLAND

STEINBILDER SB-28
CLINOPYROXENITE, ILIMAUSSAQ, GREENLAND

STEINBILDER SB-29
CHLORITE+OLIVINE, ELWIN BAY KIMBERLITE, CANADA

STEINBILDER SB-30
ILMENITE+PYROXENE, MONASTERY KIMBERLITE, S. AFRICA

STEINBILDER SB-31
SERPENTINE +OLIVINE, ELWIN BAY KIMBERLITE, CANADA

STEINBILDER SB-32
PYROXENITE, PILANSBERG, SOUTH AFRICA

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