Handabbeisser (Blog)

” … ‘Exactly,’ all the noblemen agreed, though they could see nothing, for there was nothing to see. “

[Excerpt from “The Emperor’s New Clothes” by Hans Christian Andersen, 1837]

Handabbeisser” (German for: “one who bites off hands“, from the term: ‘don’t bite the hand that feeds you‘) is a blog and functions as production diary, sketchbook/portfolio-notes, news page, with occasional interviews included.

It was started in 2012, originally to communicate with a group of homeless youth in Oregon during a collaborative long-term /long-distance interview /blind-photo project (“Each reflection of myself echoes a different emotion at me”).
It is deliberately written in casual language that every average person can understand and relate to, making an effort to avoid “art-lingo” that uses language as status symbol and to create diversion addressing intentionally exclusively a particularly educated audience or one that likes to appear as such. It has been since twice deleted for various reasons and occasionally restarted again.

apple blossom teapot (2022)

Josiane Keller “apple blossom teapot” white porcelain, underglaze, glass; scale: 12 cm x 28 cm x 9 cm (2022) apple

Shangri-La Exhibition at Kunstforum Solothurn, Switzerland

Scroll down for photos of the exhibition and exhibition text, all copyright Hanspeter Dähler / Gallery Kunstforum Solothurn,

“Electric Bird” has been selected for this year’s VASTLAB Experimental 2021

My film  “Electric Bird” has been selected for this year’s VASTLAB Experimental  Studio KOMOREBI “El

ランビ (Jap., “Lambi”) published in the alternative manga anthology STUDIO KITSCH Vol. 3

ランビ (Jap., “Lambi”) published in the alternative manga anthology STUDIO KITSCH Vol. 3, special feature 寺

blue tree and black horse (2021)

Josiane Keller “blue tree and black horse” aquarell on paper,  27 cm x 35 cm (2021)

tree by a forest path with crows (2021)

Josiane Keller “tree by a forest path with crows” aquarell on paper (2021)

Cancer diaries – The Exorcism of the Little Mermaid and cut-off dreads on a shaved head

The sculpture I am currently working on is titled “The Exorcism of the Little Mermaid“. The story of H.C. Andersen

The Experienced Susanna (2021)

“The Experienced Susanna” shows a middle-aged woman sitting on a rock formation that encircles a small tide pool,

Cancer diaries – shaved head and Shagbunny

Josiane Keller “shaved head and Shagbunny” (2021) Hair was falling out everyway and all the time, so eventually it

forest after crow passed (2021)

  Josiane Keller “forest after crow passed” aquarell on paper,  27 cm x 35 cm (2021)

Cancer Diaries – cutting off hair

My first chemo session was not spectacular except in the sense that I had practically no side effects except a bit of back pai

Pink Goat (2021)

Josiane Keller “Pink Goat”, aquarell on paper,  27 cm x 35 cm (2021)

Cancer Diaries – The Experienced Susanna

After several months of a wild goose chase running from doctor to doctor, countless tests, strange misdiagnoses (IBS!) I was l

Unexpected illness

After several months of increasingly stronger symptoms I was hospitalized and eventually diagnosed with a serious illness. For

dancer 1 / An-der-Kante-Stehender / Gischt (2021)

The piece is showing a man standing at the edge of a rock or man made stone wall, his head raised up into the air, his body le

dancer 1 – pre-bisque (2021)

[*work in progress] Josiane Keller “dancer 1 – in progress, pre-bisque” (2021)

Ophelia (2021)

“Ophelia” is an interdisciplinary work inspired by the painting “Ophelia” by Sir John Everett Millais

Shooting Ophelia and sound recording

Adventurous 2-day shooting in hip-deep river water, and sound recording of “Ophelia”, for which I am wearing fly-f

squeezed tin can tea pot III (2021)

Josiane Keller “squeezed tin can tea pot III” red stoneware, underglaze, toxic glaze, found metal; scale, tea pot:

Nine puppets with a moveable jaw so far: Billy, Molly, Jan, Goebbels (the dog), Edie, Constance, Wiko, Adam, Lizzie

to compare, here the nine puppets with a moveable jaw so far: Billy, Molly, Jan, Goebbels (the dog), Edie, Constance, Wiko, Ad

Lizzie costume, hair, wig, and floating test

Difficult to find the right fabric but here it is: Josiane Keller “costume test” (2021) sewing the costume: Josian

Lizzie assembled, joints and eye lashes

A very rough sketch for the completed installation: Josiane Keller “installation set-up sketch” (2021) So far toda

Lizzie hair and costume test – Happy World Puppet Day!

Sophia, as it  turns out is not a “Sophia” at all, and turns out to be “Lizzie” (“ElizabethR

Photoshoot: Edie outside

Josiane Keller “Edie outside photoshoot 1” (2021) Josiane Keller “Edie outside” (2021) Edie outside Ed

Edie sitting on the roof (2021)

Josiane Keller “Edie sitting on the roof” (2021)

Edie in the kitchen (2021)

Josiane Keller “Edie in the kitchen” (2021)

Edie W. – diary

One year of COVID19 pandemic. Josiane Keller “Edie in the kitchen” (2021) Josiane Keller “Edie sitting on th

Sophia – bust pre-bisque

so far the bust, pre-bisque: Josiane Keller “Sophia” (2021) Josiane Keller “Sophia” (2021)

new human bust

Josiane Keller “new human bust” (2021)

I anyways live until I die – 6 screen installation sample

The advantage of GIF’s make it very easy to visually demonstrate how some of my films look like shown as loops in multip

M

  Josiane Keller “M” (2021)  

white sheep torso back glitched

Josiane Keller “white sheep torso back glitched” (2021)

black sheep torso 1 unfired on black

Josiane Keller “black sheep torso 1 unfired on black” (2021)

Studio KOMOREBI multiple screen “DEESCEENseventhreefivesix” GIF (2021)

Studio KOMOREBI multiple screen “DEESCEENseventhreefivesix” GIF (2021)

DEESCEENseventhreefourseven

Josiane Keller “DEESCEENseventhreefourseven” (2021)

ランビ – crescent moon_double (2021)

Josiane Keller ランビ – crescent moon_double, ink drawing (2021)

ランビ – half moon (2021)

Josiane Keller ランビ – lambi /half moon, ink drawing (2021)

Electric Bird /Edie screen test 2 – excerpt_001 – GIF (2019/21)

Electric Bird / Edie screen test 2 – excerpt_001 – GIF (2019/21)

test sheep sheet sheep (2021)

Josiane Keller “test sheep sheet sheep” (2021) Josiane Keller “shadowsheep rainbow a” white porcelain,

test sheep sheet sheep

  Josiane Keller “test sheep sheet sheep” (2021) Josiane Keller “shadowsheep rainbow a” (2021) Jo