Research – Heidi Bucher

In October 2018 I was fortunate to have the opportunity to view an exhibition of Heidi Bucher’s large scale latext skinnings at the Parasol unit in London some 25 years after her passing. Mainly of architectural surfaces these latex skinnings eerily hanging in the space giving the impression of the architecture that the latex had been moulded around.

Described by the Parasol Unit as “simultaneously both a physical encapsulation and a liberation from the memories that these things held for her”  https://parasol-unit.org/whats-on/heidi-bucher/ these latex objects provide a glimpse into the buildings that hold the memories of her past.

I found most interesting the video of the work she produced in the psychiatric sanatorium in Kreuzlingen “where Anna O, one of Sigmund Freud’s first case histories, a tragic figure at the dawn of psychoanalysis, was treated.”  https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/sep/23/heidi-bucher-parasol-unit-london-review

I am drawn to her work perhaps because of the parallels I can find with her practice. Her desire to use textiles as a method of visual communication and the contrast of the fluidity  and femininity of fabrics in comparison to the strong masculine materials of bronze metal or stone. Using latex with mother of pearl pigments to represent the structured architecture of a building adds a juxtaposition to the meaning of her work. Using the feminine to represent the masculine demonstrating and her own experiences and memories.

Bibliography

Cumming, L. (2018). Heidi Bucher review – memories are made of this. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/sep/23/heidi-bucher-parasol-unit-london-review [Accessed 25 Oct. 2018].

Elephant (2018). The Visceral Work of Heidi Bucher, as Seen by Her Sons – ELEPHANT. [online] ELEPHANT. Available at: https://elephant.art/visceral-work-heidi-bucher-seen-sons/ [Accessed 25 Oct. 2018].

Parasol Unit (n.d.). Heidi Bucher – Parasol unit. [online] Parasol unit. Available at: https://parasol-unit.org/whats-on/heidi-bucher/ [Accessed 25 Oct. 2018].