Nien Schwarz, Over My Shoulder, 2006, installation view of exhibition West End Gallery, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts.

Nien Schwarz, Requiem for rain, 2006, a fifty-six square meter colour air photo wall installation Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts.

Nien Schwarz, Requiem for rain, 2006, colour air photos of Western Australia, pins, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts.

Nien Schwarz, Requiem for rain, 2006, installation in progress. Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts.

Nien Schwarz, Requiem for rain, 2006, detail.

Nien Schwarz, Woman reading a letter (to Vermeer), 2006, detail, black and white air photos of Australia, 106 square meter floor installation, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts.

Nien Schwarz, Constellation nocturne (for rain), 2006, plastic drinking cups, acrylic, earth samples, text (names of dams, bores and wells), Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts.

Nien Schwarz, Constellation nocturne (for rain), 2006, detail, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts.

Nien Schwarz, Constellation nocturne (for rain), 2006, detail, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts.

Nien Schwarz, Deep time, 2005, white earth, acrylic binder, sleeping bag, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts.

Nien Schwarz, Deep time, 2005, detail, white earth, acrylic binder, sleeping bag, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts.

Nien Schwarz, Pool (self portrait), 2006, Carrara marble, digital print, Mine Own Executioner exhibition, Mundaring Arts Centre, 2006. 120 x 153 x 153 mm

Nien Schwarz, Flow, 2006, detail, orthographic air photos on butchers paper, Paperartzi exhibition, Albany Arts Centre, 2006.

Nien Schwarz, Track, 2006, geological field notes, pen, mylar, home made bush cookbook, steel shelf, red, black and yellow pins. In exhibition Chart, John Curtin Gallery, 2006.

Nien Schwarz, Track, 2006, detail, geological field notes, pen, mylar, home made bush cookbook, steel shelf, red, black and yellow pins. In exhibition Chart, John Curtin Gallery, 2006.

Nien Schwarz, Track, 2006, detail. In exhibition Chart, John Curtin Gallery.

Nien Schwarz, Track, 2006, detail. In exhibition Chart, John Curtin Gallery.

Nien Schwarz, Track, 2006, detail. In exhibition Chart, John Curtin Gallery.

Nien Schwarz, Transpose, birdbath concept development, 2005.

Nien Schwarz, Transpose, 2005, detail, cast aluminium, bronze, outdoor commission, John Curtin Art Gallery, Curtin University of Technology, Western Australia.

Nien Schwarz, Transpose, 2005, detail, cast aluminium, bronze, outdoor commission, John Curtin Art Gallery, Curtin University of Technology, Western Australia.

Nien Schwarz, Transpose project, continuously evolving installation of 357 suitcases, 3x3 Urban Art Project, City of Perth commission, Forrest Place, near main post office, central bus depot and central train station, May 24-26, 2004.

Nien Schwarz, Transpose project, Old Customs House (OCH) Artsource Open Day, Fremantle, 2004

Nien Schwarz, Transpose, 2005, installation, Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe Beach, February 2005

Nien Schwarz, Transpose, 2005, installation, Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe Beach, February 2005

Nien Schwarz, Transposition, 2001, performance still, Leighton Beach, Fremantle.

Nien Schwarz, Transposition, 2001, performance still in Transpositions: Dutch-Australian Art, , WA Museum, 2001.

Nien Schwarz, Nien Schwarz, Transposition, 2001, performance still, in Initial Spectrum, Spectrum Project Space.

Nien Schwarz, Search, 2001, topographic map, vinyl.

Nien Schwarz, I love the smell of the sea in my hair, 2006, detail, topographic map, air photo, measuring cup, in Sensation, Central TAFE Gallery, Perth, 2006.

Nien Schwarz, Nien Schwarz, I love the smell of the sea in my hair, 2006, detail.

Nien Schwarz, Nien Schwarz, I love the smell of the sea in my hair, 2006, detail, topographic map, air photo, measuring cup, in Sensation, Central TAFE Gallery, Perth, 2006.

Nien Schwarz, Nien Schwarz, I love the smell of the sea in my hair, 2006, detail.

Nien Schwarz, Mygrations, 1998-99, detail, 1944 topographic maps of Pacific Ocean, calico, acrylic medium.

Nien Schwarz, Mygrations, 1998-99

Nien Schwarz, Mygrations, 1998-99, installation view, 1944 topographic maps of Pacific Ocean, calico, acrylic medium, in Beyond Familiar Territory, Canberra Museum & Gallery, 1999. Dimensions: 3600 x 3800 x 15 cm

Nien Schwarz, Mygrations, 1998-99, installation view, 1944 topographic maps of Pacific Ocean, calico, acrylic medium, in Beyond Familiar Territory, Canberra Museum & Gallery, 1999. Dimensions: 3600 x 3800 x 15 cm

Nien Schwarz, Beyond Familiar Territory, solo exhibition installation view, detail, Canberra Museum & Gallery, 1999

Nien Schwarz, Clearance, 1997-99, topographic maps of Australia, mirror and vinyl text inserts, earth, steel shelving, in Beyond Familiar Territory, Canberra Museum & Gallery, 1999. Dimensions: 40 linear meters (350 map shopping bags).

Nien Schwarz, Clearance, 1997-99, detail, topographic maps of Australia, mirror and vinyl text inserts, earth, steel shelving, in Promised Land, Perth International Arts Festival, The Church Gallery, Claremont. Dimensions: 80 linear meters (700 handmade map shopping bags).

Nien Schwarz, Clearance, 2001, detail.

Nien Schwarz, Clearance, detail, topographic maps of Australia, mirror and vinyl text inserts, earth, steel shelving, in Promised Land, Perth International Arts Festival, The Church Gallery, Claremont.

Nien Schwarz, Discomfort zone (Mine/mine), 1998.

Nien Schwarz, Palimpsest, 2000, topographic maps, polymer binder, charcoal, iron ore, nickel ore, 3-part installation in Promised Land 2001, Perth International Arts Festival, The Church Gallery, Claremont.

Nien Schwarz, Palimpsest, 2000, detail, topographic maps, polymer binder, charcoal.

Nien Schwarz, Palimpsest, 2000, detail, topographic maps, polymer binder, iron ore.

Nien Schwarz, Core, 2001, geophysical core samples, aluminium.

Nien Schwarz and Murray Gibbs, Wh-Eat, 2001, wall installation detail, 80 loaves of stale bread, toasted, part of Metis 3 exhibitions of science and art, Fremantle Arts Centre, 2001.

Nien Schwarz, Groundwork: an illustrated poem, 1998, detail, rock samples, stainless steel shelf, 7.5 x 50 x 50 cm

Nien Schwarz, Groundwork: an illustrated poem, 1998, detail, mineral samples, lead shelf, 7.5 x 50 x 50 cm

Nien Schwarz, Groundwork: an illustrated poem, 1998, detail, Mines and minerals map, zinc shelf.

Nien Schwarz, Groundwork: an illustrated poem, 1998, detail, mild steel shelf, 7.5 x 50 x 50 cm

Nien Schwarz, X marks the spot (Broken Hill, Mount Isa, Cadjebut and the Eastern Goldfields), 1995-99, Australian standard bricks, steel, mirror, laser cut steel, polyester, silk, dye, ink. In Beyond Familiar Territory, Canberra Museum & Gallery, 1999. Dimensions 200 x 250 x 250 cm.

Nien Schwarz, X marks the spot, detail

Nien Schwarz, X marks the spot, detail

Nien Schwarz, studio, works in progress, 1997

Nien Schwarz, X marks the spot, 1997, detail

Nien Schwarz, From legend to market, 1998-99, steel, synthetic polymer paint, paper (55 paper grocery bags made from Australian geological maps), vinyl, drill core. In Beyond Familiar Territory, Canberra Museum & Gallery, 1999.

Nien Schwarz, From legend to market, 1998-99, detail.

Nien Schwarz, From legend to market, 1998-99, detail.

Nien Schwarz, Bauxite, 1996, aluminium saucepans, steel, ink, paint, Canberra Contemporary Arts Space, 1996.

Nien Schwarz, Bauxite, 1996, aluminium saucepans, steel, ink, paint, Canberra Contemporary Arts Space, 1996.

Nien Schwarz, Bauxite, 1996, detail.

Nien Schwarz, Moving territory, 1997-98, detail, commissioned by the ACT Public Art Program for the Canberra Museum & Gallery 16 passenger lift.

Nien Schwarz, Moving territory, 1997-98, detail of lift doors interior and exterior, a commission for the Canberra Museum & Gallery 16 passenger lift.

Nien Schwarz, Moving territory, 1997-98, detail of Marmoleum lift floor

Nien Schwarz, Moving territory, 1997-98, detail of sandblasted mirror text Here/there in English and translated Nin/ngunu in Ngunnawal.

Nien Schwarz, Untitled (beacon), 1998, ACT Dept. of Urban Services, Civic Lighting and Signage Project. Canberra City bus interchange. In association with Rodney Moss, architect.

Nien Schwarz, Backbone, 1993-95, detail of 120 modified plaid flannel shorts, exhibition at de Vaalserberg, Rotterdam

Nien Schwarz, Pigment painting #15, 1997, detail, map, natural pigment.

Nien Schwarz, Pigment painting #40, 2002, cotton, hand ground rocks, polymer binder, private collection

Nien Schwarz, Pigment painting #22, 2000

Nien Schwarz, Untitled (flagging tape roll diameters), 2000, cotton, hand ground rocks, polymer binder, in the collection of Chamber of Mines, Minerals and Energy, Inc.

Nien Schwarz, Bairnsdale (tablecloth), 2000, Bairnsdale maps, window curtain block, polymer binder. Functioning tablecloth.

Nien Schwarz, Jarrahdale (tablecloth), 2000, Jarrahdale maps, window curtain block, polymer binder.

Nien Schwarz, Ugly lands, 2001, detail, in Uglieland exhibition, The Moores Building, Fremantle.