FINE PRINT: Jenny Schmid at the Print Center

The heroines of Jenny Schmid's work are often deceptively child-like with their cutesy outfits and oversized heads and eyes, but there's more to these "little girls" than meets the eye. Schmid grew up in Seattle during the reign of Riot Grrl and brings that revolutionary spirit to her art. Drawing on the history of print-making as well as contemporary culture, she creates a playful commentary on gender, politics, and identity. Schmid was a part of the "Outlaw Printmakers" exhibit in New York city and currently brings her sense of keen observation to her website, bikini press international. Her animation piece, employing Egyptian influences and her trademark bobble-headed heroines, can be viewed at the Print Center. 1. Who or what are your artistic influences? One of the reasons I became an artist is that I realized it could incorporate all my varied interests! I will just list my most recent influences in no particular order: A recent trip to Egypt, Feminist Non-Fiction, Persian Miniatures, Medieval Engraving and anyone who is taking a risk by being themselves (despite gender expectations). 2. Why are you drawn to and so frequently depict female characters? I have an undergraduate degree in political science and have been an avid reader of political theory. I grew up in grunge-era Seattle and was playing in bands after college- at a time when Riot Grrls movements were starting and people were finding ways to address gender disparity is subversive and creative ways. I see feminism as supporting anyone who wants to live outside the false dichotomy of stereotyped gender roles. I do draw both boys and girls, but I see the iconic girl as the empowered symbol of future liberation. 3. The subjects of your art are often disproportional and distorted; what commentary do you feel depiction this conveys? I am very attracted to any character with an oversized head; in some ways it is an easy (bobble-head) strategy to add humor, which is essential to my work. I have poetically explored the idea of the big head in a short animation I made with Patrick Holbrook that you can see on Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/7018922. The big head draws attention to the character's psychology- so, although you might be checking out her cute outfit, the viewer is always drawn back to her face and what she is experiencing. People often say my characters look worried, and I think their big heads often carry the weight of the world! 4. Why do you feel print-making is the appropriate medium for your artistic messages? I enjoy the tradition of satire in the medium and the space it occupies in between high-brow and low-brow, commercial and fine art, the cartoon and the portrait. I love the aura of history I can evoke with traditional media, while embracing a contemporary message. With its hybrid history, the medium can provide a certain freedom to be blasphemous and experimental, and I think the Philagrafika show demonstrates how open the definition of print can be. Printmakers know that technology in art is not linear. We are not in this thing to be efficient! We can both love the history and make work that breaks with tradition (my piece in the show is an animation). I have been reading a lot about the current state of the medium, and its great how the digital is causing a certain paradigm shift where a print might no longer be something that has to be run through a press. Printmakers are thinking more about the relationship of the original to the output and how an image can fluidly travel through a range media. This history provides the groundwork for multiple (no pun intended) and simultaneous interpretations of our practice. Some people (capitalists, mostly) look down on printmaking for being a craft or creating multiples; ironically it is exactly this point of departure that allows us a certain mobility. 5. Can you describe your exhibit for the Philagrafika festival? I made an animation piece in collaboration with Ali Momeni called "Women's Desert Liberation Front" and it includes Flash animations with HD footage and still photos from a recent trip to Egypt. Ali and I have collaborated on a number of live animation pieces and we both embrace the collision of new world and old world technologies. We took a generator and clamped projectors onto a jeep that was driven through the desert by our Bedouin guide! We projected live animations onto rock formations in the White Desert and documented our work. Back in Minneapolis we compiled our documentation and I started layering my animated characters over the video and photographs. We worked with Heba Amin in Egypt and Brennan Vance in Minneapolis. The resulting piece consists of 3 short animations with my latest heroine as a central character. She is a burka-wearing, long-board-riding, text-messaging (the revolution) symbol of liberation!

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FINE PRINT: Jenny Schmid at the Print Center

POSTED: Friday, March 19, 2010, 8:00 PM

1. Who or what are your artistic influences?

One of the reasons I became an artist is that I realized it could incorporate all my varied interests! I will just list my most recent influences in no particular order: A recent trip to Egypt, Feminist Non-Fiction, Persian Miniatures, Medieval Engraving and anyone who is taking a risk by being themselves (despite gender expectations).

2. Why are you drawn to and so frequently depict female characters?

I have an undergraduate degree in political science and have been an avid reader of political theory. I grew up in grunge-era Seattle and was playing in bands after college- at a time when Riot Grrls movements were starting and people were finding ways to address gender disparity is subversive and creative ways. I see feminism as supporting anyone who wants to live outside the false dichotomy of stereotyped gender roles. I do draw both boys and girls, but I see the iconic girl as the empowered symbol of future liberation.

3. The subjects of your art are often disproportional and distorted; what commentary do you feel depiction this conveys?

I am very attracted to any character with an oversized head; in some ways it is an easy (bobble-head) strategy to add humor, which is essential to my work. I have poetically explored the idea of the big head in a short animation I made with Patrick Holbrook that you can see on Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/7018922.

The big head draws attention to the character's psychology- so, although you might be checking out her cute outfit, the viewer is always drawn back to her face and what she is experiencing. People often say my characters look worried, and I think their big heads often carry the weight of the world!

4. Why do you feel print-making is the appropriate medium for your artistic messages?

I enjoy the tradition of satire in the medium and the space it occupies in between high-brow and low-brow, commercial and fine art, the cartoon and the portrait. I love the aura of history I can evoke with traditional media, while embracing a contemporary message. With its hybrid history, the medium can provide a certain freedom to be blasphemous and experimental, and I think the Philagrafika show demonstrates how open the definition of print can be. Printmakers know that technology in art is not linear. We are not in this thing to be efficient!

We can both love the history and make work that breaks with tradition (my piece in the show is an animation). I have been reading a lot about the current state of the medium, and its great how the digital is causing a certain paradigm shift where a print might no longer be something that has to be run through a press. Printmakers are thinking more about the relationship of the original to the output and how an image can fluidly travel through a range media.

This history provides the groundwork for multiple (no pun intended) and simultaneous interpretations of our practice. Some people (capitalists, mostly) look down on printmaking for being a craft or creating multiples; ironically it is exactly this point of departure that allows us a certain mobility.

5. Can you describe your exhibit for the Philagrafika festival?

I made an animation piece in collaboration with Ali Momeni called "Women's Desert Liberation Front" and it includes Flash animations with HD footage and still photos from a recent trip to Egypt. Ali and I have collaborated on a number of live animation pieces and we both embrace the collision of new world and old world technologies.

We took a generator and clamped projectors onto a jeep that was driven through the desert by our Bedouin guide! We projected live animations onto rock formations in the White Desert and documented our work. Back in Minneapolis we compiled our documentation and I started layering my animated characters over the video and photographs. We worked with Heba Amin in Egypt and Brennan Vance in Minneapolis.

The resulting piece consists of 3 short animations with my latest heroine as a central character. She is a burka-wearing, long-board-riding, text-messaging (the revolution) symbol of liberation!

Jenny Schmid

"Floating World," lithograph and ink jet, 22" x 30"

Bringing you more Philagrafika coverage.

The heroines of Jenny Schmid's works are deceptively childlike, with their cutesy outfits and oversized heads and eyes, but there's more to these girls than meets the eye. Schmid grew up in Seattle during the reign of the riot grrrl movement and brings that revolutionary spirit to her art. Drawing on the history of printmaking as well as contemporary culture, she creates a playful commentary on gender, politics and identity. Schmid was a part of the "Outlaw Printmakers" exhibit in New York and currently shows off her sense of keen observation to her Web site, Bikini Press International. Her animation piece, which employs Egyptian influences and her trademark bobble-headed heroines, can currently be viewed at the Print Center (1614 Latimer St., 215-735-6090).

City Paper: Who or what moves you?

Jenny Schmid: One of the reasons I became an artist is that I realized it could incorporate all my varied interests. I will just list my most recent influences in no particular order: a recent trip to Egypt, feminist non-fiction, Persian miniatures, Medieval engraving and anyone who is taking a risk by being themselves (despite gender expectations).

CP: Why are you drawn to and so frequently depict female characters?

JS: I have an undergraduate degree in political science and have been an avid reader of political theory. I grew up in grunge-era Seattle and was playing in bands after college -- at a time when riot grrrls movements were starting and people were finding ways to address gender disparity is subversive and creative ways. I see feminism as supporting anyone who wants to live outside the false dichotomy of stereotyped gender roles. I do draw both boys and girls, but I see the iconic girl as the empowered symbol of future liberation.

CP: The subjects of your art are often disproportional and distorted. What commentary do you feel depiction this conveys?

JS: I am very attracted to any character with an oversized head. In some ways it is an easy bobble-head strategy to add humor, which is essential to my work. I have poetically explored the idea of the big head in a short animation I made with Patrick Holbrook that you can see on Vimeo.

The big head draws attention to the character's psychology, so, although you might be checking out her cute outfit, the viewer is always drawn back to her face and what she is experiencing. People often say my characters look worried, and I think their big heads often carry the weight of the world!

CP: Why do you feel print-making is the appropriate medium for your artistic messages?

JS: I enjoy the tradition of satire in the medium and the space it occupies in between high-brow and low-brow, commercial and fine art, the cartoon and the portrait. I love the aura of history I can evoke with traditional media, while embracing a contemporary message. With its hybrid history, the medium can provide a certain freedom to be blasphemous and experimental, and I think the Philagrafika show demonstrates how open the definition of print can be. Printmakers know that technology in art is not linear. We are not in this thing to be efficient!

We can both love the history and make work that breaks with tradition (my piece in the show is an animation). I have been reading a lot about the current state of the medium, and it's great how the digital is causing a certain paradigm shift where a print might no longer be something that has to be run through a press. Printmakers are thinking more about the relationship of the original to the output and how an image can fluidly travel through a range of media.

This history provides the groundwork for multiple (no pun intended) and simultaneous interpretations of our practice. Some people (capitalists, mostly) look down on printmaking for being a craft or creating multiples; ironically, it is exactly this point of departure that allows us a certain mobility.

CP: Can you describe your exhibit for the Philagrafika festival?

JS: I made an animation piece in collaboration with Ali Momeni called "Women's Desert Liberation Front," and it includes Flash animations with HD footage and still photos from a recent trip to Egypt. Ali and I have collaborated on a number of live animation pieces and we both embrace the collision of new world and old world technologies.

We took a generator and clamped projectors onto a Jeep that was driven through the desert by our Bedouin guide. We projected live animations onto rock formations in the white desert and documented our work. Back in Minneapolis, we compiled our documentation and I started layering my animated characters over the video and photographs. We worked with Heba Amin in Egypt and Brennan Vance in Minneapolis.

The resulting piece consists of three short animations with my latest heroine as a central character. She is a burka-wearing, long-board-riding, text-messaging (the revolution) symbol of liberation!

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