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Stefanie Schneider
Born Free (Sidewinder) - Polaroid, 21st Century, Contemporary

2005

About the Item

Born Free (Sidewinder) - 2005 38x48cm, Edition of 10, Archival C-Print based on the Polaroid, Not mounted, Signature label and Certificate, artist Inventory No. 3137. 2005 SIDEWINDER - Director / Artist / Camera / Editing - starring JD Rudometkin, Stefanie Schneider, music by JD Rudometkin private history turned into an intimate mythology of elemental fantasies where reality is perceived through a veil of psychedelic memories and unconscious projections. such is a collection of passions and dreams, an uncanny diary of ephemeral narratives and mental intensities in Stefanie Schneider’s painterly photographs where subjectivity of an ontological doubt uses a poetics of pastische as a vehicle for an intertextual journey towards the truth and the authenticity of primary emotions. here time is immersed in a nostalgic suspense of oneiric dimension, a sort of ambiguous coma of silence and comfort, and open space embraces a psychotic landscape of solitude and accidental pleasure. fetishisized surface of extreme feelings gives a stage for an unsolicited promise of unconditional love and unlimited freedom, a promise framed by sensual tension between fulfillment and expectation. (Adam Budak, Kunsthaus Graz, Oct 2005) Sidewinder “Working on Sidewinder with Stefanie Schneider was intense. It is a very personal piece for both of us, though I feel in very different ways. When overdue fears and aspirations are able to surface in a project, the work becomes a mirror. Such efforts are always a risk. I am still uncertain of what exactly to make of it Sidewinder. How much should have been exposed. What needs to remain sacred. I almost did not drive that „68 Deville” out to 29 Palms on the day we were set to shoot. I followed her out there against a feeling I had. Was it fear? I don’t know. Perhaps mistakes do not exist. What is our intuition composed of anyhow? When I look out across the desert, it seems so flat. So free of dramatic lines. That is when a human figure appears, even in the distance, a curiosity. There are so many of us clustered in these cities, who would care. Why take the time? I will always drive out of town back into parts of Sidewinder from time to time.” (JD Rudometkin) ------ In the case of Sidewinder the scenario was created by internet where she met J.D. Rudometkin, an ex-theologian, who agreed to her idea to live with her for five weeks in the scrubland desert environment of Southern California. The dynamics and unfolding of their relationship, both sexually and emotionally, became the primary subject matter of this series of photographs. The relative isolation and their close proximity, the interactive tensions, conflicts and submissions, are thus recorded to reveal the day-to-day evolution of their relationship. That a time limit was set on this relation-based experiment was not the least important aspect of the project. The text and music accompanying the DVD were written by the American Rudometkin, who speaks poetically of “Torn Stevie. Scars from the weapon to her toes an accidental act of God her father said. On Vaness at California.” The mix of hip reverie and fantasy-based language of his text, echoes the chaotic unfolding of their daily life in this period, and is evident in the almost sun-bleached Polaroid images like Whiskey Dance, where the two abandon themselves to the frenetic circumstances of the moment. Thus Sidewinder, a euphemism for both a missile and a rattlesnake, hints at the libidinal and emotional dangers that were risked by Schneider and Rudometkin. Perhaps, more than any other of her photo-novels it was the most spontaneous and immediate, since Schneider’s direct participation mitigated against and narrowed down the space between her life and the art work. The explicit and direct character of their relationship at this time, opens up the question as to the biographical role Schneider plays in all her work. She both makes and directs the work while simultaneously dwelling within the artistic processes as they unfold. Hence she is both author and character, conceiving the frame within which things will take place, and yet still subject to the same unpredictable outcomes that emerge in the process. (Mark Gisbourne, Stranger than Paradise, 2006, page 12-14) Stefanie Schneider was born and raised in Germany but lives and works in Southern California. Exploring the American dream and capturing it with Polaroid instant film. Situated on the verge of an elusive super-reality, her photographic sequences provide the ambience for loosely woven story lines and a cast of phantasmic characters that reflect a part of the narrators life told from her perspective. Often about love, communication. sexuality and relationships. Schneider works with the chemical mutations of expired Polaroid film stock. Chemical explosions of color spreading across the surfaces undermine the photograph's commitment to reality and induce her characters into trance-like dreamscapes. Like flickering sequences of old road movies Schneider's images seem to evaporate before conclusions can be made - their ephemeral reality manifesting in subtle gestures and mysterious motives. Schneider's images refuse to succumb to reality, they keep alive the confusions of dream, desire, fact, and fiction yet they also explore the relationship with the medium and the viewer. The wabi-sabi 'ness' of Schneider's work can not be denied or ignored. It's a step of acceptance of 'flaws', gaps and distortions. Missing pieces of the puzzle. The artist flaunts, uses and exposes the unknown using expired Polaroid instant film intentionally. Presents it. What you do with that is up to you. That missing part of the picture is for you to include yourself, you fill it in with yourself. That might be critical that it's there at all, missing and missing the entire point all together or by filling in the unknown with their own imagination. Even their own memories which then integrates the viewer and artist as one with limitless potential. The works of Stefanie Schneider evoke Ed Ruscha's obsession with the American experience, the richness of Georgia O'Keefe's deserts and the loneliness of Edward Hopper's haunting paintings. So how exactly did this German photographer become one of the most important artists of the American narrative of the 20th and 21st century? Stefanie Schneider's Polaroid photography and Andy Warhol's Polaroid photography both hold significance in the realm of instant photography, but they exhibit distinct approaches and contributions to the medium. While Andy Warhol is renowned for his experimentation with Polaroids, particularly through his exploration of celebrity portraits and his innovative use of color, Stefanie Schneider's work takes the medium even further in terms of depth and narrative. Schneider's Polaroids go beyond capturing surface aesthetics. She delves into the realm of storytelling and evokes a strong sense of emotion through her compositions. By utilizing expired film and embracing its inherent imperfections, Schneider creates a dreamy and nostalgic quality in her images. Her work often explores themes of longing, loneliness, and the passage of time, inviting viewers to engage with the narratives she presents. In this sense, Schneider's Polaroid photography transcends the medium itself and becomes a vehicle for introspection and contemplation. Warhol's Polaroids have their own artistic merit, often capturing iconic figures and embracing the pop art aesthetic, they tend to emphasize the surface and the iconic status of the subjects. Warhol's approach is more focused on the immediate visual impact rather than delving into deeper narratives or emotions. In terms of pushing the boundaries of Polaroid photography, Stefanie Schneider's work can be seen as a more significant progression. Her use of expired film, combined with her attention to composition, lighting, and vintage aesthetics, creates a distinct and immersive experience for viewers. She expands the possibilities of Polaroid photography by infusing it with a poetic and introspective quality, going beyond the instant capture to explore the realms of memory, time, and personal connection. In summary, Andy Warhol's Polaroid photography is notable for its iconic subject matter and exploration of color, Stefanie Schneider's work takes Polaroid photography to new depths. Her emphasis on storytelling, emotion, and the transformative power of expired film sets her work apart and showcases her ability to elevate the medium into a realm of contemplation and artistic expression. Stefanie Schneider received her MFA in Communication Design at the Folkwang Schule Essen, Germany. Her work has been shown at the Museum for Photography, Braunschweig, Museum für Kommunikation, Berlin, the Institut für Neue Medien, Frankfurt, the Nassauischer Kunstverein, Wiesbaden, Kunstverein Bielefeld, Museum für Moderne Kunst Passau, Les Rencontres d'Arles, Foto -Triennale Esslingen, Bombay Beach Biennale 2018.
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