Edwin Herrenschmidt

B2 Half + zoom	Collective 2 + zoom	L'incendie + zoom	White Buffalo + zoom
Cosmical + zoom	Ecstasy + zoom	Ephemeral + zoom

What is your artwork about (underlying concept, focus, themes, intent, etc)?

Art for me is an ever evolving experiment. Themes & concepts are always changing, however, my intent stays he same: to engage the viewers, to provoke them by either shocking them or making them think. I used to create text-based art mixed with abstract photographs, so the piece would have aspects of a high-definition reality that could not be deciphered quickly. I believe that is a reflection of the world we live in: a constant visual bombardment of images that, at the end, become blurry and loose their message, their meaning. My work is both a critique and a byproduct of our environment.

What informs your artwork or what are your influences?

Andy Warhol & Jasper Jones are the reason why I turned to printmaking. I wanted to become an illustrator in my teens, and I discovered the potential of print in an exhibition in Basel (Switzerland). I later discovered Barbara Kruger, Jenny Holzer, Chuck Close, and the rest is history.

What matters to you most about the work that you do?

A result I'm happy with, aesthetically speaking, as I have a high level of craftsmanship expectations. I love things well made. I'm a bit of a meticulous freak. Printmaking is so process-driven that the piece tends to be finished at the planning stages. Making it is just an exercise in my ability to have fun while not messing it up completely!

Do you feel you need to position your work within the context of art history and if so what's your take on that?

Not necessarily. I know my work hardly relates to the artists aforementioned, however, it is a distilled product of an everyday visual memory, influences mixed with my personal history.

Is there a trigger or a starting point for each piece?

Waking up everyday (thus far) is a trigger to be creative. I work in the design industry, so I get stimulated visually all the time. I gather ideas from all over. Streetscape, travels, magazines, television, comic books. my imagination keeps me up at night.

How has your work evolved over the last five years?

I started printing on paper again!! I know that doesn't seem to be a big deal but it is for me. I was printing on photographs, wood, metal, fabric, everything BUT paper. But I'm slowly returning back to the "roots" of printmaking. I'm even planning on doing a linocut one of these days. I know. It's a crazy idea!!

What is currently the central motivation for or conceptual concern in your work?

Beside experimenting, and making each and every print different from the previous one, I don't really have a central motivation. well.. almost. But I'm still figuring it out myself!

How does your physical/geographical environment inform the work you do?

I like to see my environment as a whole, beyond what the eye can see. Transcend the "known, safe and recognizable". I find it more challenging to imagine and create than to just observe and repeat.

What mediums, techniques, or processes are involved in your art making (and why these)?

Screen printing (serigraphy) is at the basis of most of my work. However, I use photographs to print on and to reproduce and manipulate via my computer. I use illustrations and sketches, the web, found objects, construct things from discarded wood pieces, etc. and lately, I've been buying nice cotton paper. Which is limiting, but I have to stay in touch with the tradition of printmaking. Again: I experiment a lot. I like when thing are constructed, when the 2 dimensional world of printmaking turns into 3D. It offers much more potential to both the audience and the artist.

What are your other passions in life and how have these influenced your work?

A keen interest in life in general. I'm fascinated by the media, and how people can't think for themselves. Otherwise, I love and ride motorcycles. But that does not influence my work. It just gets me from A to B faster.

Why are you an artist?

Because it is essential to me, as much as air and water.

I was influenced by a creative environment when I was a kid, and I found artists, designers, illustrators, photographers creators, interesting people to be with. I enjoy the conversations that emanates from these groups. I think visually, I remember visually. I speak visually. I cannot perceive myself doing anything else, nor can see myself stop doing it.

Education/Professional Experience

• Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts, Printmaking, Alberta College of Art and Design, 1996
• Currently senior graphic designer at nonfiction studios

Awards/Scholarships

• Minister of Advanced Education International Award, 1992
• Alberta College of Art & Design Student's Association Legacy Collection Scholarship, 1995

Selected Exhibitions

Memberships

• Founding member of Burnt Toast Studio, a printmaker's artist collective, Calgary
• TRUCK Gallery member - An artist run centre, Calgary

Publications

• December 2005: NEWS @ ACAD - Alberta College of Art Alumni newsletter
• Fall 2003: Artichoke Magazine