Judith Eisler (born 1962) is an artist based in New York, while currently residing in Vienna where she is a professor at the University of Applied Arts. Known for her exquisite paintings attained from moving images, the final result is a unique sensation of ‘the between’, between abstraction and image, possible narratives and visceral pleasure. Judith exhibits internationally, her paintings reside in prominent collections...including the home of Daryl Kerrigan.
Photos by Max Lakner
Tell us about your latest creations?
My latest paintings are a big portrait of Romy Schneider and a street scene of NYC traffic at night. I’ve been interested in reducing color lately so both might almost read as black and white – but they are not black and white – lots of blues and brownish reds merge and fade out.
The street scene is not about the traffic but about energy and speed. The illusion of depth is suspended, there are hints of buildings and cars but my main interest here is defining light as substance. caught Romy Schneider fever in Vienna–she is something of a goddess here. I just did a big portrait of her head and it’s clearly a head poised in mid thought but the surface dissolves into marks of paint and starts to read like a landscape.
What inspires you?
I am inspired by great painting which makes me stop, stare, think and get lost. Actually I’m interested in anything that provokes this result: moving images both on the screen and in the street, music, stories, nature and friends. I’m inspired by other people's engagement in their projects, laughter, and things that take me out of my comfort zone.
ROMY 2, 2010, oil on canvas, 100 x 130 cm. LIZ, 2010, oil on canvas,100 x 130 cm
When did you first wear Daryl K?
I got my first pairs of low-rider Daryl K jeans in the early 90s. One pair was black and one was olive green. Wore them till they wore out.
Tell us about your lifestyle…your preferred sense of style?
I’m living parallel lives at the moment. For the last two years I’ve been living mostly in Vienna working as a professor of painting at the Universität für Angewandte Kunst. But there’s a lot of time off from school so I travel to NYC and Connecticut for many months of the year. So I’m in the studio, at the University, at art openings and dinners, in the country, on the streets, on airplanes.
I like a look that’s classic but with an edge, tough but femme.
To see works by Judith Eisler visit http://juditheisler.com/.
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