Josefine Reisch
Peachy Matoaka, 2020
In her painting, Josefine Reisch depicts a relationship between the picture frame of a painted portrait and the profile of the sitter. Frames live in a world between decorative art and architecture. Similar to portraits in painting, the framing of a painting is subject to changes in style and taste, but also to the zeitgeist. As a result, the frame is often changed to match either the décor or prevailing trends. Interest in biographies and the construction of legends leads Reisch to take frames of portrait paintings as a starting point to investigate the contradictions and possible misinterpretations of the sitter’s story. The title of the work refers to Matoaka, known as Pocahontas. Her life story has been heavily romanticized and fictionalized over the years, as in Walt Disney’s animated film of the same name. In Josefine Reisch’s painting, the depiction of the female subject, as well as the pompous picture frames, reads as a playful commentary on gender and high culture. The work raises questions about the commodity character of painting and female representation in art.