Research- Elke Krystufek

Elke Krystufek is an Austrian self-portrait artist. She works in many medias include drawing, photography and other combinations. She usually features in her work and often it explores social taboos, but often this exploration leads to us as viewers learning about her and things that go on inside her head. This self-exploration and the identity factor are two things that intrigue me.

My idea may have shifted slightly since this project began but the aim is still largely the same:- the exploration of identity, of my own and of others and so Krystufek is a relevant artist to look at. I like the often blunt, always honest approach to her work. The ones where it's as though she's pouring out whatever was on her mind or in her heart are the ones that come across particularly strongly.

Women, the role women have in art and feminist issues seem to make up the large part of her work, but it is all fascinating and the ones that bring in the issues of myth and/or religion are even better.



Her way of presenting the work is also quite interesting. Her installations are very full on in the sense that sometimes the work is literally drawn onto the gallery walls or text is added around the media. It makes it seem very personal and an insight into the artist in an exposed way. I think this is what she's trying to demonstrate and the text in the work is also very revealing, something that obviously I'm trying to get in my own project. Her work is not anonymous like mine though, she is laying these hopes, fears, wishes, frustrations all down as her own and not hiding behind a keyboard or a screen.