Artist Statement

The original concept of the “Garden City” of Hellerau combining work, culture and living in a planned community, was an interesting one for me. Like all utopian ideals, it seemed to me very modern and full of promise, and perhaps romantic and ultimately flawed in its attempt toward realization. This notion inspired me to design and screenprint a series of handmade graphics, that when cut and folded, could create miniature houses from Hellerau. Inside the houses, on the reverse side of the prints, I wanted also to print images from my own garden in Cleveland, Ohio. Inserting into these paper houses vibrant color and energy, and fusing them with something of myself, this interplay between inside and outside serves as metaphor for our common interests of domesticity and culture. My hosts Dr. Heiner Ollendorf and Dr. Tanja Fischer, could not have been more gracious in welcoming me, my wife and son into their home on Auf Dem Sand 11. This house, designed by architect Hermann Muthesius for book publisher Jakob Hegner, helped inspire the form and title of the project. The multiple meanings of HausBuch(e) as guest book and beech tree refer, in part, to some of the many aspects of the Hellerau neighborhood including its natural beauty and history. The events of the Portrait100 project were well attended, with viewers having equal interest in both the art and interiors of the homes. The responses from my perspective seemed overwhelmingly positive with several people returning again to bring friends. Children seemed especially delighted with the installation, and they can often be an artist’s toughest critics. I would like to thank all the people who made this project possible. I believe it generated tremendous good will, and certainly created a lasting experience for me as well.

Michael Loderstedt