Friederike Näscher is a collector of visual events. She is now showing her new works Transluzent and Heine-Zyklus at Galerie Lausberg in Düsseldorf since Düsseldorf photo+, which began on 13 May and continues until 26 June 2022. Alethea Magazine met Friederike Näscher for an exclusive interview and learned how the artist came to the technique of the photogram and also that she was drawn to the works of Heinrich Heine as a young child.

Already during her studies, Friederike Näscher experimented in the analogue photo lab with her professor, Otto Steinert student Inge Oswald, inspired by Bauhaus artists such as László Moholy-Nagy. The 2018 Heine Zyklus "Meer und Himmel hör ich singen", is an associative encounter with Heine's early poetry. The cycle includes 14 photograms that hang together with the verse contents. They take into account 3 cycles of Heine's early and middle poetry: Lyrisches Intermezzo and Heimkehr from the Buch der Lieder (1827), and Neuer Frühling from the Neue Gedichte (1844), all in the Romantic tradition. Many of these poems were set to music by Robert Schumann in the "Dichterliebe".

Friederike Näscher comes from a highly creative family - all three siblings embarked on artistic careers. Her sister is the fashion designer Barbara Schwarzer, who became the first collector of her sister's works.

June 4, 2022

Interview Directory 

ART

Name: Friederike Näscher

Occupation: Artist, designer, lecturer

Preferences: Romantics like Heinrich Heine and Robert Schumann.

"I see myself as a collector of visual events. I encountered these by chance at first, until I began to shape them purposefully and play with transparency, translucence and opacity - similar to the photogram technique."

Heine-Zyklus - Aus meinen Tränen sprießen" 60 x 60 cm

 Fineart Pigment Print auf Photo Rag | Edition 3 + 1 AP ©Friedrike Näscher 2018

Can you tell me something about your photogram technique? 

My photograms are based on the historical technique of the Bauhaus school, above all Laszlo Moholy-Nagy or Man Ray. In this "camera-less" photography, the image was created in the darkroom by staging a wide variety of objects directly on the photographic paper. I experimented with this technique during my studies at the Folkwangschule in Essen. 

I see myself as a collector of visual events. I encountered these by chance at first, until I began to shape them purposefully and play with transparency, translucence and opacity - similar to the photogram technique. This process takes place analogously. The protagonist is light, I prefer to work with real sunlight. Therefore, the situations are ephemeral, they are unique. I photograph the image thus obtained digitally, and can then make further compositions - ultimately, therefore, a mixed technique of photography, graphics and drawing. 

What other types of design do you use as an artist? 

Actually, my background is in drawing. I have always enjoyed working with watercolour, gouache and mixed media with oil pastels. Today I also like to draw with digital tools.

You and your sister have both found your way in creativity - do you inspire each other? 

I guess you could say that. We come from a family of artists, and this gene seems to be very dominant. Even as children, my sister, brother and I painted our fairy tale worlds together and told each other stories about them. Later, we all went in the direction of art. My brother and I studied communication design, my sister Barbara Schwarzer became a fashion designer. By the way, she encouraged me a lot when I started my new photogram technique 10 years ago. She and her husband are also art lovers themselves and have a collection of works by prominent artists, including from the ZERO group. My sister was my first "fan" and she now also has many of my pictures in her collection. 

You also teach - what advice can you give to budding artists and designers? 

To have the courage to express yourself creatively, to experiment, to always remain authentic and curious - and above all to go through the world with open eyes. In the beginning there is always perception.

Can you tell us about your current projects? 

I am still enthusiastic about my photogram technique and always discover something new in the process. It already has a certain addictive factor. I am currently also experimenting with analogue overpaintings, monotypes and various alienation possibilities. My senses are always on standby. 

Heine-Zyklus ©Friedrike Näscher 2018

©Friedrike Näscher