The Art World's Feminine Touch

Scantily clad mannequins on Hollywood Blvd. are nothing new. But German  filmmaker Eckhart Schmidt, brings a new twist to these fake figures in his photo exhibit “Window Girls,” at the German Consulate General July 18 -  September 30 , before moving to the Seyhoun Gallery on Melrose in October. Schmidt, who’s made numerous docus on Hollywood’s industry of desire, produces images that not only show the mannequins but also the reflection of street life in the glass windows. The result is a mix of sad doll eyes and a genuine delight in the seedy side of Los Angeles. “To me, these dolls are like empty silver screens for our desires. I look at them and I see the loneliness that characterizes life in Los Angeles,” explains Schmidt. “I happen to love this loneliness. It sparks creativity because the only way to meet people in Los Angeles is through work.”

Across town, Schmidt’s daughter, Judith Liebe, deals with a similar juxtaposition in her own show at GALLERY 17 in Venice entitled “Pandora’s Box - Transformation of a Woman” July 10 – 27. Her eye-catching exhibit also uses sexy images of the female body but in the form of a photo collage , many of them appropriating famous figures such as Kate Moss, provocatively sliced, diced and released from their original glamour mag origins.  There are also strong visual references to German Expressionist works of painters such as Otto Dix, whose Weimar Republic society figures are clearly kin to Liebe's edgy portraits of 21st century feminine fast-lane malaise.  “In Greek mythology Pandora opens a box, which she has been told not to open,” says Liebe.  “As a punishment for disobedience, evil spirits are released, but one thing is left inside of the box – hope. In my work I try to create a balance between hope and sin.”   

Asked if it's "coincidental" that both father and daughter have exhibits featuring images of erotically-charged young women, Schmidt says, "Absolutely not. We are both obsessive about females. All of my feature films have also been about women." Liebe, however, explains that her "obsessive" mission couldn't be more different from her father's: "I don't know what he's looking for in his films or his 'Window Girls,' but in my paintings, I am looking for my own identity."
- by Steven Gaydos and Katja Hoffman