Jamie Zill Senior Portfolio 2010-11: Artist

Klompching Gallery

INTERVIEW

http://ishotmyselftheydidtoo.blogspot.com/2008/09/cornelia-hediger-interviewed-by.html

BIOGRAPHY AND ARTIST STATEMENT

Cornelia Hediger was born in Switzerland and lives and works in NYC. She earned her BA and MA in Fine Art from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. Her work has been displayed in exhibitions at PS122 Gallery in NYC, the International Center of Photography in NYC, Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Rutgers University in New Brunswick, and the Massachusetts College of Art. Hediger has also shown her work abroad at the Gallery Del Mese-Fischer in Switzerland and Limilight9 Gallery in Halifax, Canada.

“Fear, hope, joy, despair, and destruction are some of the emotions and feelings I explore with photography. The pictures address an internal dialog and communicate the struggle between the conscious and the unconscious. The topics, often heavy and complex, are presented in rich and lush colors, with flower patterns and polka dots, allowing in humor.

These photographic assemblages are made up of six to nine images, which allow me to exaggerate and emphasize certain areas. I am the photographer and the model, acting out several characters within one set. The characters that represent hope and despair, good and bad, past and present, are facing each other, watching each other, and wondering if the other is trustworthy. This particular way of photographing allows me to look over my own shoulder and act out my internal struggle in the external world.”

QUOTES

“Creating these images, to me, is a very personal act and I prefer working on my own…These sets not only take a long time to photograph (an assistant would most likely walk off the set in disgust since it's taking so long) but also I go into characters when I work and I'm not sure how comfortable I would be having someone around.”

From interview at http://ishotmyselftheydidtoo.blogspot.com/2008/09/cornelia-hediger-interviewed-by.html

“Personally I'm more interested in a silent scream than having blood gushing all over the place. I do realize, however, that I'm walking a fine line and some of my images might be a bit over the top like the fish image (Doppelgänger 4-01-07). There is nothing subtle about this image and I can see how this would be a criticism. Some of the other images are more quiet and not as obvious and therefore perhaps more effective. I'm aware of the problems in each image, I spend a lot of time with them, and yet I decided to let the fish image live because it was honest at the moment when I created it.”

From interview at http://ishotmyselftheydidtoo.blogspot.com/2008/09/cornelia-hediger-interviewed-by.html

“The characters that represent hope and despair, good and bad, past and present, are facing each other, watching each other, and wondering if the other is trustworthy. This particular way of photographing allows me to look over my own shoulder and act out my internal struggle in the external world.”

From Artist Statement

http://corneliahediger.com/

Cornelia Hediger's ability to create multiple characters within herself interests me. She does it flawlessly, allowing herself to interact with herself on a level that allows the viewer to be a part of the situation at hand. I love the distortions in some of the images, and the "cut up" look in general. The elongated bodies, some parts not quite attaching appropriately, while another part of the image matches up just fine. A lot of these remind me of good and evil, or maybe all of the parts of your subconscious are fighting and speaking at on. Id, ego, and superego all battling in one image. I do love her presentation, yet I am still leaning towards printing on alternative surfaces and doing long exposure to obscure myself. I do not yet have the guts to present myself like Hediger does, but I find her quote on working alone to be very interesting. I feel the same way, yet many times it is difficult to work alone, but easier to present touchy subjects in visual form in their completion. I will be looking to Hediger for her multiple characters, light distortion, and grid formation for inspiration.