THE RUINS: 1987-1991
This portfolio represents a fusing of the artist's self-exploration of her own alienation from her body. Here Matuschka takes a step back from her own figure to observe the image of herself in the form of a series of fractured plaster casts; shattered simulacrum that repeat images of her own broken body that will seem, in retrospect, like an eerie presentiment.
"The Ruins", based on Matuschka posing alongside plaster casts of her body in abandoned buildings, is considered to be her first major work known to the public. The series was published in many fine art magazines internationally, including the cover of P/F Professional Photography (the Netherlands), while exhibits were mounted at the Center for Photography at Woodstock and the Photographic Museum of Helsinki in Finland in the '80s & '90s.
The images of her figure cloned in plaster, along with herself, juxtaposed with picture frames, mirror and plastic, often created a tromp l’oeil impression. The result is more like a photograph of a painting, or photography capturing a performance in a dream.
Shot on 35mm color & black and white negative film; 35mm slide film and 2 & 1/4 black and white negative film. Vintage prints printed by the artist in various sizes & papers are available as limited editions and artists' proofs. Digital prints may be available on request.
Artifacts Include: casts, polaroids, sketches, press, contact sheets, negatives, slides and written matter.
“The dreamlike world in Matuschka’s work is an exploration of flesh and steel, of the supple and mysterious container of the feminine torso against the cold sharpness of broken glass andpeeling paint. All is in Ruin. The passion of life has degenerated and has been abandoned like an empty apartment with the wind passing through a broken window.”
Jay Spica, 1989 Freesia Magazine
Masked, 1987
Torso, 1988
Before Noon #2, 1987
Arkville Floorboards, 1990
Crowned, 1988
Reclining Greek Statue, 1987
Before Noon, 1987
Sheets Off, 1987
Asphyxiation, 1987
Julie, 1989
Off The Wall, 1987
Face To Face, 1987
The Ruins Video, 2006
Behind Open Doors, B & W, 1987
Head On Sill, 1987
Doors Open, 1987
My Wedding, 1987
Man Framed, 1988
Framed, 1988
The Mens Room Back, 1989
The Mens Room Front, 1989
Nude Collapsing On Stairwell, 1989
The Blizzard, 1988
Stormed, 1988
Behind Open Doors, 1987
Blue Moon, 1988
Cleopatra, 1987
Hope and Helplessness, 1987
Group Portrait, 1987
Preliminary Drawings
Before The Ruins took form as cast sculptures and photographs, the series began as a body of drawings. These sketches are a rare glimpses into how Matuschka creates a photographic series from scratch.
It is unusual for such preparatory material to survive, yet these original drawings remain part of the archive and are shown below — a preserved record of the artist’s hand in motion, and the first visual expressions of what would become one of her most iconic series.
The Casts
Matuschka's process for making casts is well documented and in many cases preserved,as wall installations after the molds were used in her photographic compositions.
Many of the actual casts are included in the archive and are shown below — a preserved record of the artist’s process, and the second visual expression of what would become one of her most iconic series.
Radiating Heat, 1987
Cast Making, 1987
Golden Plaster Cast, 1989
A Ghostly Mist, 1987
Select Press 1988-2025
