colourful, melancholic, longing
Name
Josefine Schulz
Profession
Artist
Website
Where are you from?
Leipzig, but i grew up in Dresden, Germany.
Your style in 3 words?
colourful, melancholic, longing
Your weakness? Your strength?
weakness: I’m a bit cynical sometimes. That annoys me myself. strength: I am good with colours.
What makes you different?
I am sure, nothing.
When did you decide to become an artist?
Actually this is a kind of pathetic story. In the summer of 2011, I was on holiday with my parents and a friend. We drove by car from East Germany to the French Atlantic coast. My friend had the book “Just Kids” by Patti Smith with her and somehow I managed to steal it from her and read it out in a few days. When I got to the end of the book, we were sitting on some rocks on the beach and I thought: Yes, I think I’ll study art. Long story short: A year later, I started at university
What do you find most fascinating about the creative process?
I think what I love most is that everything I look at in my everyday life, whether it’s cute dogs with their owners in the pedestrian zone, fashion or Love Island, can find its way into my work. Sometimes I have phases where I have the feeling that nothing happens or you don’t see any direct successes/developments and it reassures me to know that even if I watch 5 hours of TV now, in the end it can be an inspiration for my work.
A few words about your favourite creation?
Oh that’s hard. I usually find the things I did last the coolest. But in 2015/2016 I worked on the diptych “Girls with Cats“. The painting shows a group of girls with cats posing for some kind of high school photo. As in my other works, the focus here is on the motif of friendship and the distribution of roles within a group. At first sight you think “oh that’s nice and colourful and fun” and then it turns into a feeling of unease and you are left with an insecure feeling. And although the picture is relatively old it still means a lot to me.
Someone else’s work that inspired or inspires you…
There are a lot! Just to name a few artists: Grace Weaver, Tobias Zielony, Henri Matisse, Anne Imhof
Who would you like to work with someday and why?
For my next performance, I would like to work more intensively on the costume. It would be great to work with someone in fashion and put motifs from my paintings on clothes. My performances are already like my paintings, only in motion, but I would like to combine them even more. But I don’t have anyone specific in mind right now. But hey if anyone reading this is interested: call me haha
A new project coming up or an idea you want to work on?
Several. I showed a performance on a parking deck in Osnabrück a few weeks ago. That was the first time I developed a performance for a space other than a white cube and it worked really well. I liked coming to a place that already has a function and that I don’t have to create for my own purposes. I could use the parking deck as a backdrop and after my performance it’s just a place where people park their cars. This is how I would like to continue working in the future.
Finish the sentence „More important than my career is…“
family, friends& my future dog.
2021: Where are we going?
Nowhere. I’m already waiting for 2022.
When the going gets tough…
I’m going to get a bucket of popcorn and watch a film that gives me a good cry.
Put on your future vision glasses: What direction is our generation moving in, what will our world look like in 50 years?
Without wanting to sound too depressed, things are looking rather bad at the moment. If we continue to treat our environment and fellow human beings in such a shitty way, things will get bad
What would you do if you could change the World?
Definitely introduce an unconditional basic income.
If the universe is everything and it’s expanding, what is it expanding into?
into the dark
Tell us about your future plans…
Honestly, if there’s one thing I’ve had to accept in the last year, it’s that I have to learn to let things come to me. But if it’s ever possible again, I’d like to go to the USA and Canada.
Your city’s favourite spots?
Near my home there is a bridge on the canal called the “Nutria Bridge” because there are lots of cute nutrias swimming around. You can go there at any time of the day: there are always people watching the animals and there is also a granny who comes by every day with a suitcase full of food. I love this place simply because all kinds of people from the neighbourhood meet there and are fascinated by these little animals with the orange teeth.
Last but not least: what is your favourite Song?
Thats a tough one. Right now: „Real Love“ by Beach House
One last statement please: „Wood or stone, gold or art?“
stone & art
Your #…?
