Nobert Diemert's stone sculptures are created both from the outside in and from the inside out: starting with ‘the form in his head’, as the artist himself puts it, he removes layer after layer from the solid block of stone. Ultimately, only about a third of the original block of material remains in the form of the artwork. From the very first stroke of the chisel, the theme of metamorphosis runs like a thread through the work. And not only that: the indeterminacy of its surface, its inherent potential for transformation, remains even after the sculpture is completed. The viewer's gaze wanders between the suggested signs and the open form of the artwork.
Sculptor Norbert Diemert finds inspiration for his free-form stone sculptures in everyday observations and nature. However, he is not interested in imitating or merely reproducing the impressions he encounters, but rather in symbolising tensions. Working in series creates additional moments of tension and comparison. Diemert transforms what he sees into something previously unseen. The oscillation between dynamism and statics, figuration and abstraction, man and nature is a recurring theme throughout his work. The subject of femininity also crops up repeatedly. All his sculptures exist in between. They are imbued with the possibility of transformation. This is also revealed by the titles of other series created between 2010 and 2020: Fluidum, Balance im Fluss, Metamorpha, Empora, Schwingung. Some of these series of works are still unfinished. His stone sculptures are large or small in format, standing or lying, sometimes even floating. Occasionally, subtle references to Henry Moore, Alberto Giacometti or Jaume Plensa can be discovered.
Chiselling, sawing, milling, grinding, polishing – depending on the intensity of these successive sculptural techniques, the artist achieves a wide variety of effects. Even a single stone is extremely versatile. It not only has its own unique fingerprint, but also several surfaces that can be made visible.
Norbert Diemert is fascinated by the process of exposing these diverse stone textures. He searches for the right stone for each sculpture, constantly setting himself new challenges in the process.
