This series of handmade photomontages was inspired by figurative master paintings created throughout art history—important moments in the western canon. My love for the particular presence of master paintings, combined with my own interest in photography, provided a starting point from which to explore. I then created reinventions—re-masterings—working through my personal sensitivity and engagements as an artist. Photomontage allows me to translate these paintings into new environments.
For me, this is an act of translation. While I use contemporary technologies, I endeavor to maintain the tactile qualities and varied dimensionalities that drew me to the objects in the first place. This series attempts to capture the ghosts of occidental imaginary, always partial and illusive, while proposing new visual languages around these established masterpieces. Homage is a meditation on the passage of time. It is a reflection on where I am, as an artist, in the 21st century, ever-influenced by the past and by my heritage.
— Cornelia Hediger
This work was selected for a Critics’ Choice Award in 2023. Here is what the critics said:
“In an age of emerging AI, the handmade photomontages of Cornelia Hediger demonstrate what true creativity is all about. By embracing the visual vocabulary of paintings that she pays homage to, the final creation is fantastically photographic.”
“Hediger’s photomontages are a breath of fresh air. The work is surreal and playful, and it steers away from anticipated narrative structures.”
