Erin K. Schmidt
I am a book artist. I use the quiet space of the book as a means to convey the often very unquiet emotional wells in our minds. I construct narratives drawing on the relationships of memories and the emotions tied to them, as well as on the manner in which both memory and emotion influence notions of identity. Repeated imagery and text are common throughout my work. They are remnants of the psyche. A recurring image recalls private moments that have been tucked away, yet still linger unsettlingly. A face, a place, again and again insist their memory with the persistent reminder of a past. The repetition of a single phrase or word is used to indicate the monotony of our daily lives, the rituals that carry on relentlessly, regardless of our haunting thoughts and emotions. They become inescapable in the backs of our minds. They define us.
Structure and media also play a vital role in the narrative of my work. As a book, the form presents only fragments at a time, like stills of memory, unveiling themselves one by one. The space of the book becomes a place to dwell on private thoughts. I choose the structure of the book to further communicate the narrative where the words and images leave off. A café created between the layered pages of a concertina slowly reveals a man in silent mourning. A crocheted baby’s blanket softly wraps around a much anticipated pregnancy ended abruptly. Both traditional and nontraditional, the arrangement and organization of the book is essential to meaning of the work. I use a variety of carefully considered materials in my work to enhance and enrich the experience of the book. Sheer silk organza, light and airy, is layered, each page a delicate and gossamer memory slipping just out of reach. Hand felted wool absorbs outside sounds and is noiseless, referencing burial. It brings with it a hushed sense of mourning and loss. My goal is to evoke a personal and emotional response.
The book by its very nature, elicits participation and requires effort and time. The viewer’s interaction with the book makes the experience an intimate one. I believe my books expose those private thoughts and feelings, both fragile and frantic, which bind us as humans.
Erin K. Schmidt has her BFA from Michigan State University. After studying book arts at Bowling Green State University she pursued her MA in Book Arts from Camberwell College of Arts at the University of the Arts London, graduating with distinction. Her work has been exhibited internationally and can be found in private and public collections.
Structure and media also play a vital role in the narrative of my work. As a book, the form presents only fragments at a time, like stills of memory, unveiling themselves one by one. The space of the book becomes a place to dwell on private thoughts. I choose the structure of the book to further communicate the narrative where the words and images leave off. A café created between the layered pages of a concertina slowly reveals a man in silent mourning. A crocheted baby’s blanket softly wraps around a much anticipated pregnancy ended abruptly. Both traditional and nontraditional, the arrangement and organization of the book is essential to meaning of the work. I use a variety of carefully considered materials in my work to enhance and enrich the experience of the book. Sheer silk organza, light and airy, is layered, each page a delicate and gossamer memory slipping just out of reach. Hand felted wool absorbs outside sounds and is noiseless, referencing burial. It brings with it a hushed sense of mourning and loss. My goal is to evoke a personal and emotional response.
The book by its very nature, elicits participation and requires effort and time. The viewer’s interaction with the book makes the experience an intimate one. I believe my books expose those private thoughts and feelings, both fragile and frantic, which bind us as humans.
Erin K. Schmidt has her BFA from Michigan State University. After studying book arts at Bowling Green State University she pursued her MA in Book Arts from Camberwell College of Arts at the University of the Arts London, graduating with distinction. Her work has been exhibited internationally and can be found in private and public collections.