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Identification and Creation

Object Number
2009.95
People
Janaina Tschäpe, German (Munich, Germay Born 1973)
Title
Naiad 1
Classification
Prints
Work Type
print
Date
2005
Culture
German-Brazilian
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/333415

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Photogravure on wove paper
Technique
Photogravure
Dimensions
95.9 x 69.2 cm (37 3/4 x 27 1/4 in.)
Inscriptions and Marks
  • inscription: l.l of plate in pencil: VI/X
  • inscription: l.r of plate in pencil: Janina Tschape 2005
  • stamp: l.l stamped on back: GS 1413 copyright 2004 Janaina Tschape
    Graphicstudio, U.S.F

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Jeanne Champion; East Orleans, Massachusetts, gift to Harvard Art Museum, November 2009.

State, Edition, Standard Reference Number

Edition
6/10

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Gift of Jeanne and Geoff Champion in memory of Patrick J. Dwyer
Copyright
© Janaina Tschäpe
Accession Year
2009
Object Number
2009.95
Division
Modern and Contemporary Art
Contact
am_moderncontemporary@harvard.edu
Permissions

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Descriptions

Commentary
As a native of Germany but spending much of her time in Brazil, Janaina Tschäpe's work has been influenced by both cultures. In Candomble, an Afro-Brazilian religion, the name Janania is a goddess, the Queen of the Ocean. The symbolic nature of water, one of unification and life, is evident in Tschäpe's work. She uses water and the female body to create magical spaces of play, where desire to transform oneself can be realized. Although the female body is a constant theme throughout her work, often because she uses friends as models, Tschäpe believes that art should transcend gender. Her playful scenes of watery landscapes are inhabited by women dressed in elaborate customs. She aims to create opportunities to play with desire and fear, to enter into a creative space that opens opportunities to unify the past and present and create the possibility of transformation.
Naiad 1 and Undine are the first representations of Tschäpe's work in the Harvard Art Museum collection. They were done as part of a project at Graphicstudio at the University of South Florida. Tschäpe designed the customs, which were then worn by trained mermaids at the Florida attraction, Weeki Wachee Spring. At Graphicstudio, she experimented with different printing techniques. In the color lithograph, Undine, Tschäpe references the German mythological figure of a water nymph and harkens back to the series she did between 1997 and 2001, titled "One Hundred Little Deaths." The photogravure, Naiad 1, is a Greek mythological water nymph bound to her fresh water spring.

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Modern and Contemporary Art at am_moderncontemporary@harvard.edu