Anna Oppermann: Statement and documentary on »Being artist (Drawing from Nature)«, 1977
Women Video Work(s)
© Oppermann
Date: 1977
Material/Technique: Video, color, stereo, 4:3
ZKM | Archive
Copyright: © Anna Oppermann / Michael Geissler
Michael Geißler’s video camera is directed at Anna Oppermann, who is seated at the center of her “Ensembles”, an installation exhibited at the documenta 6 in Kassel, in 1977. Oppermann’s characterization of her Ensemble – a composition of various objects which rather represent the processual nature of the object of art – is a “gesture of communication”. In a partly faltering manner, she then makes reference to deficits, to inadequacies. She points out that the objects in her Ensemble are of greater perfection than could be any attempt to represent them. Oppermann had already been working with the medium of video documentary around this time. The development of her installations is to be perceived with the sweeping eye of the camera, such that particular details can be focused on. She has herself now become the focus of video activist Heiner Geißler. For the 1970s, her installations were novel. Rather than producing complete works, she instead created an image of the process, and thus liberated herself from conventional modes of representation. Her works invite one to communicate about multiple levels in the sublimity of the object and of nature.
Anna Oppermann
Born 1940 in Eutin, studied art at the University of Fine Arts of Hamburg and philosophy at the University of Hamburg. In 1977 participation in documenta 6 and in 1987 in documenta 8 in Kassel. In 1976 and 1978 guest at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg, 1982 – 1990 professor at the University of Wuppertal. 1991 – 1993 professor at the Berlin University oft he Arts. Died 1993 in Celle.
Michael Geissler
Born 1942 in Berlin. Commercial apprenticeship; subsequently studied commercial advertising at the Akademie für Grafik, Druck und Werbung [Academy of Graphics, Printing, and Advertising] in Berlin. In 1967, part of the second year of enrolments at the Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin [German Film and Television Academy Berlin] (camera and direction course); after one year’s study exmatriculation due to his participation in the blockade of the Springer building in Berlin. In 1969 co-founder of the video artists’ group Video Audio Medien (VAM), one of Germany’s first alternative media groupings. Participation in Projekt 74 [Project 74] in Cologne and in documenta 6 in 1977. Since 1975 technical director of the Video-Forum at the Berlin International Film Festival and contract lecturer for Alternative Medienarbeit [Alternative Media Work] at the Institute of Media and Communication Studies at Freie Universität Berlin [Free University Berlin]. From the mid-1980s employed as supervisor of video installations with the Werkbundarchiv, Museum für Alltagskultur des 20. Jahrhunderts [Museum for Everyday Culture of the Twentieth Century]. Died 2003 in Berlin.
www.record-again.de
Text and Biography: Record>Again! 40jahrevideokunst.de
Material/Technique: Video, color, stereo, 4:3
ZKM | Archive
Copyright: © Anna Oppermann / Michael Geissler
> Watch the video
Michael Geißler’s video camera is directed at Anna Oppermann, who is seated at the center of her “Ensembles”, an installation exhibited at the documenta 6 in Kassel, in 1977. Oppermann’s characterization of her Ensemble – a composition of various objects which rather represent the processual nature of the object of art – is a “gesture of communication”. In a partly faltering manner, she then makes reference to deficits, to inadequacies. She points out that the objects in her Ensemble are of greater perfection than could be any attempt to represent them. Oppermann had already been working with the medium of video documentary around this time. The development of her installations is to be perceived with the sweeping eye of the camera, such that particular details can be focused on. She has herself now become the focus of video activist Heiner Geißler. For the 1970s, her installations were novel. Rather than producing complete works, she instead created an image of the process, and thus liberated herself from conventional modes of representation. Her works invite one to communicate about multiple levels in the sublimity of the object and of nature.
Anna Oppermann
Born 1940 in Eutin, studied art at the University of Fine Arts of Hamburg and philosophy at the University of Hamburg. In 1977 participation in documenta 6 and in 1987 in documenta 8 in Kassel. In 1976 and 1978 guest at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg, 1982 – 1990 professor at the University of Wuppertal. 1991 – 1993 professor at the Berlin University oft he Arts. Died 1993 in Celle.
Michael Geissler
Born 1942 in Berlin. Commercial apprenticeship; subsequently studied commercial advertising at the Akademie für Grafik, Druck und Werbung [Academy of Graphics, Printing, and Advertising] in Berlin. In 1967, part of the second year of enrolments at the Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin [German Film and Television Academy Berlin] (camera and direction course); after one year’s study exmatriculation due to his participation in the blockade of the Springer building in Berlin. In 1969 co-founder of the video artists’ group Video Audio Medien (VAM), one of Germany’s first alternative media groupings. Participation in Projekt 74 [Project 74] in Cologne and in documenta 6 in 1977. Since 1975 technical director of the Video-Forum at the Berlin International Film Festival and contract lecturer for Alternative Medienarbeit [Alternative Media Work] at the Institute of Media and Communication Studies at Freie Universität Berlin [Free University Berlin]. From the mid-1980s employed as supervisor of video installations with the Werkbundarchiv, Museum für Alltagskultur des 20. Jahrhunderts [Museum for Everyday Culture of the Twentieth Century]. Died 2003 in Berlin.
www.record-again.de
Text and Biography: Record>Again! 40jahrevideokunst.de