Kerstin Kartscher

Kerstin Kartscher (b 1966) was born in Nuremberg, Germany. The central medium of Kartscher’s work is drawing, and her works evolve out of combining finely-detailed drawings with large found objects, or man made materials, that are often merged in installations.

Kartscher creates drawings and installations of imaginary worlds populated by nameless heroines who celebrate their femininity, liberated from social, emotional and psychological constraints, within fantastical, elegant and immense landscapes. Using a limited set of tools that include magic markers, she demonstrates that a complex utopian vision can emerge from even the most common office supplies.

Kartscher was the third artist to participate in the Tate St Ives Artist Residency Programme based at Porthmeor Studios. During the residency, Kartscher evolved a new body of work, and created a central installation, Private War, and other fantastic landscapes in inks, marker pens, acrylic and collage that was exhibited at Tate St Ives in October 2005.

Text: Ben Crack