Nadine Schemmann's works are the reproduction of encounters, conversations and moments that reveal a unique ambivalence in her works. The artist brings together the various elements of an encounter - sounds, feelings and colors - in sculptures and paintings. Her large-format fabrics are created by dyeing or bleaching textiles, which she then sews together in the desired size. These seams and edges already structure the work surface and set boundaries, which at the same time herald future encounters between the colors.

 

Schemmann applies ink, diluted oil paint and chlorine bleach to the canvases prepared in this way, often lying on the floor. These materials flow and merge with each other, often forming several spheres of color that run towards each other across the fabric. This creates moments in which the colors merge or entwine, so that it is no longer possible to tell where one color begins and the other ends.

 

Schemmann's works are not always stretched on frames, but often hang freely in the room. This freedom allows the works to change and breathe, even after they have been completed. The tension between the loosened and stretched states of the fabrics reflects the fleeting moment of encounter, which is always characterized by closeness, distance, boundaries and their transgression.

 

Her artistic practice poses questions about the nature of encounters: How do we experience them? What do they trigger in us? How do they enrich or frighten us? Schemmann shows that encounters can have both a separating and a connecting effect.

 

Schemmann's works are reminiscent of color field painting, but in contrast to artists such as Mark Rothko or Helen Frankenthaler, whose works are often anchored in space or landscape, Schemmann focuses on the in-between space of encounters between people. Her pictures show what remains free of color and what is limited by cut edges and seams. These interstices illustrate the intention of depicting encounters and open up a dialog reminiscent of the religious philosopher Martin Buber. He emphasized that human life consists of encounters and that genuine dialogue is the basis of human connection.

 

Nadine Schemmann has a background in illustration and has developed a unique artistic practice that is constantly evolving. Her works have been shown in solo and group exhibitions, including at Museum Wiesbaden, Schlossgut Schwante, Kunsthaus Lempertz, Kjubh Düsseldorf, Studio Berlin, Textile at Galerie Haverkampf-Leistenschneider and at Bittel von Jenisch Hamburg.