Allround 2003, I first met Bernd Schmidt in Stuttgart/Germany. He had a good running daytime job and in the nighttime he vanished in to his backyard studio. Although Bernd did not have to live from selling his art, he was incredibly productive – his studio was completely full and he worked simultaneously at least at three easels.
In the nineties, Bernd had already exhibited in some local galleries. Schmidt is a very common name but Bernd always refused to choose a stage name. Most of the time he avoided the unpleasant effort of networking. So I had the chance to be one of the first to see the harvest of five years of work - and I was really touched by these breathtaking pictures.
So what's the story? Partly there are reminiscences from the collective visual memory. And there were rich figurative icons, not far away from porn stories, there were foggy misteries, tiny hints and quotes of history in almost every picture. We talked about fairytales, the pulsing clock of poems and the deep meaning of the narrative element. This guy was refreshing respectless and he didn't no accept any limit. I had the impression, that Bernd Schmidt does not paint to realize a concept. His work is much more a steady exciting dialogue with open end.
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Volker Mika

There are greasy temptations, there are awesome heroes, there is a lot of tragedy around us and there are humans who find themselves being transformed into huge insects one grey morning. Everything has already been done, but there is still a lot to tell - maybe we'd start painting with a new beat. Essentially, I'm interested in very simple things, like structures, rhythms, skin. Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by this special obsession for striking figures who want to act up on the canvas ... so don't be surprised, if I start painting pure nudity.

I came across this spicy intense red color, a shade more than perfect for the sharp outlined contours appearing on the smooth painted surfaces at that time. And then I wanted to get rid of rectangular shapes and I was desperately searching for circular and round edge frames for the canvas. Pigment powder of deep prussian blue had to be soaked in masses of oil and became one of the most impressing rich color depths I ever met – I had to use it over and over. Later I lost my patience for multilayered oil color and changed into acrylic again ... mixed with sharp charcoal and crayon.

The process? In the beginning, there is a quick sketch and that's the kick-off for the struggle with the material, the starting point of improvisation, of questioning and deepening. Maybe the pictorial space is a kind of gate, an energy field ... I'd support the opinion, that in this special field, the difference between inventing and discovering is uncertain. It was the French artist Pierre Soulages, who appreciated the intuitive moments during the painting process. I would not follow him, maintaining thinking might happen after painting - but the creation process of any great artwork will always be more a miracle than a logic act.

That's it. Besides crafts, signature style and imagination, it's the haptic and organic material that drives me. So why do I still limit myself on pencils and brushes? Maybe, I will start to spray the color right from the tin bucket, shoveling thick titanium white into sulphur yellow mud and pour it onto gallons of liquid fat black ink, let it become a figurative icon. I still feel like an addict and I want to arrange this opera of shades, liquids, powders, edges, lines, cuts and drips. Let it become flesh and rhythm, directing anything into something totally different.

Anyway - maybe next year, I will start work with four or five shades only.
 
 

Bernd Schmidt

Hausmika represents Bernd Schmidt in Skandinavia and we also hold a collection of selected works of the artist. If You want to stay informed about the latest artwork, if you want to see or buy, we will arrange anything for you – just contact us.
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