June 07 : 2024
Astrid Reischwitz
Astrid's "Spin Club Tapestry" invites viewers to see an entire world unlocked by her lens-based work. As she says, "By creating these images, I now feel that I have changed from a distant observer in time and place to someone actively participating in my history. "
by Lily Fierman
Q:
Can you please tell us more about making your winning image, “Spin Club Tapestry”?
A:
Ever since I moved to the US, my family is a long distance away in Germany. The passage of time became more evident! My photographic work keeps memories and stories alive not only for myself but also for my family. Memory is fleeting, and the stories change as soon as I create or recall them and then time after time when the story surfaces again. By creating these images, I now feel that I have changed from a distant observer in time and place to someone actively participating in my history. Creating these photographic tapestries is also a way to reclaim the legacy of the village women, whose lives and accomplishments were most often forgotten by history.
Spin Club Tapestry
Photography is the perfect medium to explore the theme of memory, as every picture already represents a memory itself
Q:
In the description of this series, you say your work is intended to “follow a path through the lives of my ancestors – their layout of a perfect pattern and the mistakes they made.” What mistakes are you talking about here, and why did you choose to stitch to represent this idea?
A:
Looking back to the past can sometimes be painful and prickly, but it can lead the way into the future and has the potential to start a healing process. Our memories are flexible and can be shaped and transformed in ways that can be helpful for a recovery.
A step further would be to look not only at errors but also at the trauma of past generations. A growing body of research suggests that trauma can be passed from one generation to the next. Trauma can leave a chemical mark on a person's genes, which can then be passed down to future generations. I hope that my images will say, “Be an active part of your own history, find out what motivates you, and use this insight to build your future.”
The stitching symbolizes the process of healing and it is also a way to overcome the barrier of memory, the barrier of time and to learn how this culture I grew up in influenced me. It deepened my understanding and made me feel more connected with my heritage.
Spin Club Tapestry
Q:
Who are some photographers, artists, or creatives that inspire you?
A:
The conceptual works by Sophie Calle, Moyra Davey, and Cig Harvey are always an inspiration. I also enjoy looking at classic street photography, from Henri Cartier-Bresson to Elliott Erwitt.
Q:
You describe yourself as a lens-based artist. Why do you always come back to the camera as way of making your artwork?
A:
Photography is the perfect medium to explore the theme of memory, as every picture already represents a memory itself. I can focus on a dialogue between present and past, between my personal perspective today, and what was then. Present and past stand side by side, connected by binding elements and stitched together through the use of embroidery, leading a way into the future.
From left to right: "Filling the Blank Taste of Memory," "A Pleasure to Give Liver," & "Daughter of Thistles"
Q:
What photographers, artists, creatives, or otherwise would you love to have a chat with?
A:
A chat with Sophie Calle would be a dream come true.
"Egg Pancakes with Yarn"
Q:
What are you working on next?
A:
My new series The Taste of Memory explores personal and collective family narratives woven through still life compositions, intertwining threads of home, heritage, and identity. Through the careful arrangement of ingredients and culinary artifacts, I pay homage to the kitchen traditions that have shaped my family's story across generations.
Q:
What is your dream subject?
A:
My dream subject is still the theme of memory and I would love to photograph artifacts that speak of cultural memory in museums at night.
ARTIST
