Artist Statement
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Stefanos Schultz (b. 1996)
he/they
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Stefanos is a Greek/American interdisciplinary performance artist, using video and music composition to decipher memories and moments of unease.
They create characters in isolated fragments of realities often talking or singing directly to the observer, to bond, better understand and reframe importance in the present. Their videos are often dark, abstract, surreal and dream-like. Some are similar to the expressionists’, Burton-esque, Harry Smith-like and others, minimal and single room-formed.
The characters inhabiting those worlds are alter egos stuck in their reality, trying to understand and resist it. Existing on a silver lining, they are often colorful despite the dark aesthetic of their realm, wanting to communicate with whoever is on the other side of the medium. These characters become an out of body testament/performance open to interpretation driven by the artists' subconscious thoughts and emotions.
The themes that usually manifest themselves through these testaments revolve around gender, sexuality, greekness and place, social media landscapes, inclusion and isolation.
I believe artists are natural mark (symbol) seekers and decoders. I sit with my piano and editing monitor and ask myself “what is trying to come out?” I negotiate, test different combinations, talk about suspense, pain, eagerness, conflict and residual feelings, and decide if that piece is one of ease, hope and tranquility or one of mourning. Throughout my work I carry marks that were important to previous makers (archetypes, modes of power), connect to them by adjusting them to my present and offer them back to anyone who is looking to connect with them.
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IG: @stefanos.schultz