all images: by Jana Schröder / courtesy Jana Schröder
The cool and abstract works by 1983-born artist Jana Schröder carry their own signature: not only does Jana explore the doodle structure over and over again, but in her 'Spontacts Series' she also approaches the specific aesthetic of handwriting. Jana studied at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf under Prof. Albert Oehlen and subsequently founded the GSK – Gesellschaft für Streitorientierte Kulturforschung (Society for Conflict-based Culture Reserach), which staged weekly battles between two art works from different artists. Her work is currently on display in the group exhibition 'Blau" at Galerie Martina Detterer in Frankfurt am Main. In a short interview I asked Jana some questions about her current work.
Anna-Lena Werner: You are a contemporary artist. What makes art "contemporary" to you?
Jana Schröder: When it's cool. Or when it's not cool, but instead asks the right questions.
Anna: You mostly employ bluish colours - is there a reason for the limited choice of colours that you use?
Jana: The 'Spontacts Series' is kept in blue colours. After firing colour all over the place I want to back off. Only lines and one colour. I am using indelible pencils. So the copy is the original – in one tone.
Anna: Did you draw doodles and comics in your youth?
Jana: No.
Anna: The doodle and scrapbook aesthetic is very present in your abstract work. It is a consistent motif that keeps on reappearing in different shapes, even though you establish certain forms, like the curl. What fascinates you about doodles?
Jana: Primarily I like the aesthetic of lines, curls and handwriting. The movement and the materiality of handwriting and what happens, when it becomes unreadable.
Anna: Would you say, that a doodle could be the essence of the initial idea for a motif?
Jana: Despite all, the curl remains a pure form and is thus my motif.
Anna: Some of your works have a background that looks like a graph paper. Why did you choose this pattern?
Jana: When working with handwriting, the distance to graph paper is not that far. All 'Spontacts' pictures have specific layers. I am figuring out what it needs to displace a layer. The grid pattern makes a good base.
Anna: A few works are strikingly dark, especially compared to the fact that most of your works are very light. Where is the balance between these two extremes?
Jana: The approach is almost the same, just in opposite directions. It helps testing my system in between.
Anna: What inspires you?
Jana: Everything.
Anna: What is your favourite place in Düsseldorf?
Jana: Aquazoo.
Anna: What is on your upcoming agenda?
Jana: Continuing.
-> janaschroeder.com
all images: by Jana Schröder / courtesy Jana Schröder