Astrid Reischwitz: ‘Stories From the Kitchen Table’ at Providence Center for Photographic Arts

Image (c) Providence Center for Photographic Arts, 2017 all rights reserved

Submitted by Bedford Center for the Arts Photo Group

Astrid Reischwitz stitches the past, present, and future together in her series of photographs titled Stories From the Kitchen Table.The solo show is will be on display from May 18 through June 10 at the Providence Center for Photographic Arts in Providence, Rhode Island. There will be an opening reception from 5 to 9 pm on May 18.

Each image combines a narrative motif from the family farm in rural Germany capturing a fading way of life – the potato harvest, hand embroidered linens and clothing, clotheslines and farmhouse sinks – with her retelling of the tales she heard at the kitchen table, the heart of family and village life, in composite photographs. Textiles are the history books of the women in the family and reflect the nuances of their lives. Sturdy work aprons live a separate life from the finely embroidered holiday apron; finely stitched linens of local forget-me-nots still bright white and vibrant blue imply treasured handwork and ceremonial crowns reserved for women are discovered in old trunks. In some images, Astrid includes her daughter or herself, extending the female lineage embedded in the farm into modern life creating a sharp visual contrast to the past and present. Using the material culture of family life, family photographs, and her visual storytelling skills, Reischwitz builds a visual world of memory, place, and home.

Each image combines a narrative motif from the family farm in rural Germany capturing a fading way of life – the potato harvest, hand embroidered linens and clothing, clotheslines and farmhouse sinks – with her retelling of the tales she heard at the kitchen table, the heart of family and village life, in composite photographs. Textiles are the history books of the women in the family and reflect the nuances of their lives. Sturdy work aprons live a separate life from the finely embroidered holiday apron; finely stitched linens of local forget-me-nots still bright white and vibrant blue imply treasured handwork and ceremonial crowns reserved for women are discovered in old trunks. In some images, Astrid includes her daughter or herself, extending the female lineage embedded in the farm into modern life creating a sharp visual contrast to the past and present. Using the material culture of family life, family photographs, and her visual storytelling skills, Reischwitz builds a visual world of memory, place, and home.

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Astrid has participated in solo and juried group exhibitions throughout the United States. Her works have been published extensively in print and online. A graduate of the Technical University Braunschweig, Germany, with a Ph.D. in chemistry, Reischwitz began her study of photography at the International Center of Photography in New York soon after moving to the United States. After relocating to the Boston area she continued her studies at the New England School of Photography, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, DeCordova Museum School, and Photography Atelier at Lesley University and Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester MA. She also holds a certificate in Arts Administration from New York University.

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