Linda Friedman Schmidt
About the artist :Linda Friedman Schmidt was born in Germany to Polish parents, but her birthplace did not accept her as a citizen, because German citizenship from then to now is determined by the inheritance of parents no matter whether one was born in German or not. Things did not turn to be easier for her when she moved to the United States. The feeling of being isolated, excluded and invisible was always following her through her childhood in the United States. With the crisis of identity, her little inner world was constantly covered by the shadow of the psychological impact of statelessness.
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| Linda Friedman Schmidt "The Impact of Childhood Statelessness“ |
This is a self-portrait of Lina inspired by the photograph on her US citizenship document acquired at age 13. As her other paintings, it was painted using discarded clothing, which may symbolize herself as a displaced citizen. In her blog, she once explained, "My self-presentation as an adolescent was a meticulously crafted performative response. I was seeking visibility trying too hard to fit in with the big hair, eye makeup, and white lipstick of the early 60s exaggerated and inappropriate for my 13 years of age. No amount of thick makeup could hide the strong emotions inside."
With those strong emotions from her personal experience, Linda created tons of artworks not just expressing herself but also speaking up for the people who are unwanted, devalued, and considered disposable in our society. Here is another painting attracts my attention:
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"WEEDING"
Discarded clothing
26 x 26 inches, 2016
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