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| Constanze Schweiger, "Grace has success", 2012. Invitation card for "Para/Fotografie", Michael Part and Artie Vierkant, Westfälischer Kunstverein, Münster, 2015 |
"Grace has success."
Halfway to the self-made developer – while handling the prints – the artist steps into his bathtub. A cigarette is placed on the rim of the tub, the undershirt slips out of his trousers, something splashes. The soft comes and forms the hard. He wears plain-coloured cotton socks. In the morning all things are dry again but the socks are cheerfully covered with blotches. Lavender blue mottles and spots mingle on dark-grey. He states, “Sodium dithionite diluted in water induces a textile bleaching effect that causes dappled markings.” Disorganizations in the shapes of grains, smears and blobs make an adornment that is not caused by addition but by subtraction. The modern sock eludes from ornamentation. Here graceful traces represent a story accompanying the artist’s practice which takes place during the time of day when it is dark outside and others sleep. Exploited material and time – the resources of the worker – are not wasted. The composition is entirely left to chance. Thus an ornament finds its connection with man and world order. The audience is excited by the artist’s achievement. They can not accept the request that the piece should be worn. Therefore, the hard rises and forms the soft – the batik sox are getting framed. Now the artist can focus on other things again.
Translated into English by Nicholas Hoffman, 2015
Original text in German, 2012
