jay rechsteiner
home artworks statement & cv contact
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I woke up.
Coronavirus Lockdown, self-distancing project consisting of selfies using a smartphone based on Franz Kafaka's The Metamorphosis.
This projects explores self-portraiture and questions the very existence of my mophric self.
Saturday, 11 April 2020
Today I woke up as a pig.
I wanted to eat vegetarian tempura but couldn't because I wasn't able to hold my chopstick due to the disappearance of my fingers.
Sunday, 12 April 2020
Today I woke up as Noam Chomsky.
I am tired but my thoughts are on fire. I have seen many faces, many hands. I have seen people march along.
I have seen empty shelves. I am tired but I am.
Monday, 13 April 2020
Today I woke up as a man wearing a tiger mask.
Moving my eyes to the right and to the left was possible but I wasn't able to see my shoulders
without moving my head as my eyes were too deep inside my face.
Tuesday, 14 April 2020
I woke up as Klaus Kinski in 1985.
I wasn't angry at first. The old coat behind the door took me back to 1983. Then I was angry.
Wednesday, 15 April 2020
I woke up as Winnie the Pooh.
I didn't know where I was. I looked down and saw honey.
Saturday, 16 April 2020
I did not wake up.
Friday, 17 April 2020
I woke up without a face.
I didn't see anything. I didn't smell anything. I wasn't able to speak. I wasn't able to breathe. But I took a selfie.
Saturday, 18 April 2020
I woke up as Donald Trump.
I felt great. I had a great breakfast. It was fantastic.
Sunday, 19 April 2020
I woke up wearing Donald Trump's penis-finger crown.
At first I felt sort of awkward wearhing Donald Trump's crown as it was a bit wet. But then I felt great. I had a shower with it.
Monday, 20 April 2020
I woke up as Michael Gove
I felt off beam.
Tuesday, 21 April 2020
I woke up as a drawing of a miserable man Delphine is scared of.
Before falling asleep I was concentrating on waking up as Sophy Ridge but instead I woke up as a drawing.
At first I was a bit disappointed but so what, llife goes on.
My look today reminded me of that brilliant A-ha music video 'Take on me'. I felt really young.
Wednesday, 22 April 2020
I woke up as a vegeteable and fruit person.I was really hungry when I woke up. I lookek into the mirror and ate my ears.
Thursday, 23 April 2020
I woke up liquified
I felt larger but flatter. I stuck a pencil into my face.
Friday, 24 April 2020
I woke up as a discarded idea.
This wasn't the not the first time I realized that the very concept of who I was had to be re-written.
Saturday, 25 April 2020
I woke up as Sai Baba.
I then cut my hair with my newly acquired hair clippers which was really stupid because I liked my new hair.
Sunday, 26 April 2020
I woke up as a dried piece of shit.
As soon as I got up I had to go to the loo.
Wednesday, 29 April 2020
I woke up as with 16 facial expressions.
I was asleep for more than 48 hours.
Thursday, 30 April 2020
I woke up as with a golden layer on my face.
This golden layer is just the surface. I can't srape it off and sell it. It is worthless as it is part of my skin.
Friday, 1 May 2020
I woke up as with my face falling off.
I have never like the idea of a symbolic mask but when I woke up today I realized that there is no
such thing as a mask.
Saturday, 2 May 2020
I woke up as with more eyes as usual. I also had my nose transplanted and I grew a few more mouths.
It felt weird as I had a more rounded view. I wanted to say something but I didn't know how to control each mouths. My nose was the same just
in a different place.
Sunday, 3 May 2020
I woke up as with as a (white) wormhole portal.
I didn't venture to put my arm into my face as I wasn't sure if there was enough exotic matter to keep the wormhole open.
Monday, 4 May 2020
I woke up as as the view from my living room.
It was as I didn't exist anymore. I was there and I wasn't there.
Tuesday, 5 May 2020
I woke up as with in a Zoom discussion about the disapparence of art.
Since the beginning of the lockdown I felt that art has vanished. This was a wake-up call.
Wednesday, 6 May 2020
I woke up as Joseph Beuys.
This was really cool. I have always been fascinated by Beuys as he was together with Jean Tinguely, Dieter Roth and Hans Arp
among the very first artists I studied as a young child.
Saturday, 16 May 2020, Margate, UK
I woke up as Karl Schmidt-Rottluff.
I felt a bridge growing from my island to another island. I didn't dare to cross the bridge though as I didn't see the bridge, I just felt it.
Monday, 18 May 2020, Margate, UK
I woke up as Der Neue Mensch.
I felt degenerated and ignored by the artworld. I was punished for Hitler's failed art career. However, I knew I was monumental.
Wednesday, 20 May 2020, Margate, UK
I woke up as a copy of myself.
I felt just like yesterday but I knew that I was slightly different.
