Idea Presentation | 30.10.2012
I presented my ideas on a project about the theme of Lustmord in Germany. This introductory presentation included a short poem and a single photograph as a jumping off point.
One of the quotes that caught my interest in this subject and started my journey was the following; "The sheer number of canvases from the 1920s with the title Lustmord (Sexual Murder) ought to have been a source of wonder for Weimar’s cultural historians." - from Maria Tatar, Lustmord: Sexual Murder in Weimar Germany. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1995. xii + 213 pp.
Concept Development / First Visual Experiment | 20.11.2012
After two weeks of research and individual meetings with Gunnar Green I have developed my concept further and chose to focus on the artist George Grosz. Grosz created a series of drawings and paintings around the theme of Lustmord in the Weimar Republic between 1922-1933.
I created a short video titled Lustmord: A Love Story which uses a combination of photographs of George Grosz, his wife Eva Grosz, images of his paintings and drawings, clips from the film Metropolis and a performance of Falling in Love Again by Marlene Dietrich.
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Concept Development / Archeology, Excavation, and What Remains - Stage 1 | 04.12.2012
I have the opportunity to work in an abandoned apartment complex located on Marianstrasse 2. After viewing this space I decided it was the perfect space to experiment on a larger scale incorporating the theme of Lustmord and the life of George Grosz in the 1920's. I photographed the room and started to paint it black.
The PDF below features a few images of the room and a couple of quotes from George Grosz talking about his studio and working practice. Grosz sees the studio as a sort of magical environment where the normal influence of the world is cut off and his imagination is free to explore ideas. I'm using this as a jumping off point to begin my own exploration into a fusion of a fictional space that incorporates aspects of George Grosz studio with a Lustmord scene.
The working title of this installation is 'ARCHEOLOGY, EXCAVATION, AND WHAT REMAINS'. I see this installation as the first in a series of 6 pieces titled 'Death and Resurrection'. This series title is the same one Otto Dix used for his series of 6 works - one of which was a Lustmord painting.
Concept Development / Archeology, Excavation, and What Remains - Stage 2 | 11.12.2012
I spent the last week at Marianstrasse 2 painting the room black and preparing the room for the installation. The room is not heated and it is freezing cold at night. I am working alone for hours at a time and I'm able to spend a lot of time thinking about the direction of this piece. The room and entire floor of this building is dark and a bit creepy - as I paint over the various layers of paint and sweep out the dirt and trash I get a sense of the past lives and activities that must have taken place here. My overall idea has changed several times and I've started to focus on particular subtle changes I would like to make to the room aside from turning it all black.
The room will be closed off to the public and only viewable thru a broken window in the doorway. Inside is a 3D scene which is obviously aestheticized but also referencing several aspects from my research and mashing them into each other - pieces of George Grosz studio are mixing into my own Lustmord "painting" which I am bringing to life in the form of a still life. Furthermore I am adding elements of light and electricity referencing futurism and science fiction as predicted in films such as Metropolis.
