Monika Schmidt-Brockmann was born in Bremen, where she absolved an education as a commercial designer. Early in her life her way led her to Nordrhein-Westfalen. First of all she worked in a publicity agency in the capital Düsseldorf before she more and more devoted to graphic arts. In that context she got into a first contact to the art scene of Düsseldorf and as well to its exponents who later got famous all over Germany – for example Jörg Immendorf.
In the middle of the 1970ies Monika Schmidt-Brockmann began with her artistic work. It was the age of Pop-Art, Action-Painting and the start into the age of modern art. Influenced by this zeitgeist the young artist worked abstract. She detected not just strong colours but action painting. Monika Schmidt-Brockmann dripped her works, let the colour flew on the canvas. This technique the artist used in the following time. And it is still noticeable in her actual drip works.
Drawing at the station "Consolidation" - just one of a lot of huge artistic projects by Alfred Schmidt.
At this time, Monika Schmidt-Brockmann became student of the artist Alfred Schmidt, with whom she worked and lived later on. The famous artist, who was just leaving Düsseldorf to devote to his most important artistic project in his life, understood graphic arts not just as art but as a craft one needs to learn for several years.
On this influence Monika Schmidt-Brockmann worked many-sided and first of all got specialized on old masterly techniques. She often examined with colours, found out about the impression of each colour.
Again and again she worked out monochrome pictures, which were a balance for her because for all this time she also worked together with Alfred Schmidt, joined into his projects and happenings. And because of his topic mining, all his paintings are black and white, photorealistic drawings from the world under out feet.
By Alfred Schmidt the artist Monika Schmidt got in contact to Wolf Vostell, Joseph Beuys and Bernd and Hilla Becher – just to mention a few of many famous fellow students from Alfred Schmidt. Beuys and Schmidt had been united by the conviction that art not exists for the upper class but in a way is spiritual food for everybody. Monika Schmidt-Brockmann spiritualized this idea – and she lives it today as in those days.
After the death of Alfred Schmidt and a short creative break Monika Schmidt-Brockmann applied new artistic methods. Her paintings got more abstract but without loosing the old power.
Today the artist combines old masterly techniques – as in the use of pure gold leaf – and abstract work to an extraordinary and impressing artistic complete works. Quite often the artist combines several techniques and manages the artistic crossover.
The artist accepts the challenge, more, she loves it. With her visionary ideas she works out new cycles and paintings which claim all her ability, knowledge and practice. Her paintings are powerful and great, massive but touching the spectator on a gentle way. Sometimes they are wild, passionate and thrilling. And not just a few people found their access to arts through the pictures by Monika Schmidt-Brockmann.
"Eden" by M. Schmidt-Brockmann
Metal cycle
Metal has had an influence on everyday life of mankind for several thousand years. It is involved in our life today; it is inseparable linked to it. And in the paintings by Monika Schmidt-Brockmann, it finds its way into graphic arts onto the canvas.
Always the artist is searching for new artistic challenges. A small package with pure gold leafs, which Alfred Schmidt once brought back from New York, initiated her new topic: Metal. Monika Schmidt-Brockmann searched for ways to bring metal leaf on the canvas. And she found them. The artist created paintings like “Aurum”, “Cuprum” and “Argentum”. In these she linked this technique with the one she used for her former works, the action-painting. She dripped upon metal leaf. And she managed the artistic link, with those paintings she built bridges between classical and modern art.
Hard and soft in the same way – and sometimes in its most noble form. Monika Schmidt-Brockmann knows the special character of each metal and she works it out by incorporating it into the painting.
The coolness of silver, the earthy copper, everything has its own place and is putted into limelight powerful and strong. By doing this, the artist creates nearly indescribable and expressive pictures, the spectator can hardly remove from.
Monotheism
In the following cycle, Monika Schmidt-Brockmann dealt with the three monotheistic religions Judaism, Christianity and Islam. With her painting she had planned to work out the differences between these religions. But while working, she found more and more similarities. It came out pictures, which build bridges, which invite the observer to discuss about this topic, to learn about each other and come together. The paintings of this cycle are realistic in a extraordinary way but stay abstract. Suggested letters and characters reference to the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Koran. Other pictures work with symbols from the three religions like for example the Wailing Wall and the roses of Israel and show them on the canvas.
Meanwhile this exhibition a extraordinary happening including a service took place. The artist had prepared white balloons. On each of them hang a piece of silk on which Monika Schmidt-Brockmann had written the name of God in each religion. That means in Hebrew language and in Arabic language. Together with the guests she let them free to rise up to the sky as a well seen sign for more peace in the world and joining together of these three monotheistic religions.
Events
23th of October 2008: Opening exhibition "Circles", Gallery Alfred-Schmidt-House. The exhibition lasts til the end of the year.
