painting deconstructed
Naomi Middelmann (USA/Swiss) will be displaying 20 of her recent works in her solo show, “Painting Deconstructed,” at MK Gallery Freiburg in Brisgau Germany. The show opened September 9 and runs through October 22, 2017. Born in Switzerland, Naomi moved to New York when she was 16. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing at John Hopkins University. She earned her postgraduate degree in Visual Arts in Basel Switzerland. “Painting Deconstructed,” takes on a literal interpretation, for Naomi re-purposes many of her old works, rips them up in strips and fragments, then reassembles them into raw textured surfaces with unique collage-like compositions.
My work explores the permeability of the individual’s sense of self. Not wanting to limit myself to one medium, I draw, paint, sculpt and assemble as an expression of the disparate nature of identity and societal roles. The combination and juxtaposition of different techniques and textures, and the use of unprepared canvas, as well as other materials, explores the fragility of matter and of the individual in our contemporary world. My interest in the ambiguity of perception, and in how artists can contribute to scientific study on perception and understanding the creative process have led me to actively collaborate and design research projects with various leading neuroscientists at top universities in the USA, Germany and Switzerland. Naomi Middelmann
HAF: Nice collection Naomi. Can you talk a little about this body of work?
Naomi: Hi. There are 20 pieces on show, which runs from September 9 to October 22. The series is indeed called painting deconstructed, where I took apart unfinished and some finished works (some of which I had exhibited in the past) and reassembled bits and pieces of them on found boxes, frames or by sewing pieces of different canvases and parts of canvases together. I found interesting how the canvas as a material is given the space to exist and be seen, and the freedom it gave me to explore various formats without having to pre-decide based on a set size.
HAF: How do you address the incorporation of “recycled materials” component in this show?
Naomi: The series belongs to a larger concept which is the notion of whether or not we can reclaim (as in salvage, repossess, or take back to its natural state) the elements around us whether actual materials (wood, canvas, paint) or symbolic elements such as memories or identity. The incorporation of found objects is a way of sewing together or trying to assemble/make sense of what can seem paradoxical.
