Bastienne SCHMIDT is a multidisciplinary artist working with photography, painting and large-scale drawings. Schmidt was born in Munich and moved at the age of 9 with her family to Greece. She spent her childhood surrounded by her father’s archeological work, which instilled in her a desire to organize, map, and attempt to understand systems through her artwork. Photography and art fall for Schmidt into the realm of archeology, exploring layers of history and meaning, and reassigning value to them. She is interested in the documentation and creation of artifacts that carry the patina of memory, history, and time. Schmidt’s process relates often to the use of humble materials, such as muslin fabric, strings and thin transparent paper.
Her art work is included in the collection of the MoMA (NY); the International Center of Photography (NY); the Brooklyn Museum (NY); the Corcoran Gallery (Washington D.C.); the Victoria and Albert Museum (London) and the Bibliothèque Nationale (Paris) among others. Her work has been shown nationally and internationally in over 100 exhibitions as in the International Center of Photography (New York); the Brooklyn Museum; the New Museum; the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe (Hamburg) among many others. Seven monographs of her projects have been published; among them Vivir la Muerte. Living with Death in Latin America (editor Hans-Georg Pospischil, Edition Stemmle, Zurich, Switzerland, 1996); Bastienne Schmidt. American Dreams (foreword by Vicki Goldberg, Edition Stemmle, Zurich, Switzerland, 1997); Shadow Home Photographs by Bastienne Schmidt (Hanns Zischler and Adrian Kreye, Jovis, Berlin, Germany, German Photo Book Award 2004); Home Stills Photographs by Bastienne Schmidt (foreword by Vicki Goldberg, Jovis, Berlin, Germany, 2010); Topography of Quiet by Bastienne Schmidt (foreword by Nessia Pope, Jovis, Berlin, Germany, 2013/14); Typology of Women by Bastienne Schmidt (foreword by Mimi Thompson, Jovis, Berlin, 2016) and Grids and Threads by Bastiennne Schmidt (foreword by Terrie Sultan and Jacoba Urist, Jovis, Berlin, Germany, 2018).
Schmidt was the recipient of the Open Society grant in 1998. In 2017 she was the Artist in Residence at The Parrish Art Museum and in 2018 she was awarded a residency at the Watermill Center.
Bastienne Schmidt lives and works in NY (USA).
Her art work is included in the collection of the MoMA (NY); the International Center of Photography (NY); the Brooklyn Museum (NY); the Corcoran Gallery (Washington D.C.); the Victoria and Albert Museum (London) and the Bibliothèque Nationale (Paris) among others. Her work has been shown nationally and internationally in over 100 exhibitions as in the International Center of Photography (New York); the Brooklyn Museum; the New Museum; the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe (Hamburg) among many others. Seven monographs of her projects have been published; among them Vivir la Muerte. Living with Death in Latin America (editor Hans-Georg Pospischil, Edition Stemmle, Zurich, Switzerland, 1996); Bastienne Schmidt. American Dreams (foreword by Vicki Goldberg, Edition Stemmle, Zurich, Switzerland, 1997); Shadow Home Photographs by Bastienne Schmidt (Hanns Zischler and Adrian Kreye, Jovis, Berlin, Germany, German Photo Book Award 2004); Home Stills Photographs by Bastienne Schmidt (foreword by Vicki Goldberg, Jovis, Berlin, Germany, 2010); Topography of Quiet by Bastienne Schmidt (foreword by Nessia Pope, Jovis, Berlin, Germany, 2013/14); Typology of Women by Bastienne Schmidt (foreword by Mimi Thompson, Jovis, Berlin, 2016) and Grids and Threads by Bastiennne Schmidt (foreword by Terrie Sultan and Jacoba Urist, Jovis, Berlin, Germany, 2018).
Schmidt was the recipient of the Open Society grant in 1998. In 2017 she was the Artist in Residence at The Parrish Art Museum and in 2018 she was awarded a residency at the Watermill Center.
Bastienne Schmidt lives and works in NY (USA).