Today we’d like to introduce you to Joanne Steinhardt.

Hi Joanne, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?

My own loss and trauma deepened my attachment to materials, their history, and my practice of storytelling. The theft of a body of work in 2018 emotionally crippled me for a time. As I emerged in 2021 I found solace in not only resurrecting objects from the past but seriously addressing my own history in an open and honest manner. My work offers second chances to pushed-aside materials and objects, bearing witness to that which is useless, invisible, or for those who cannot come forward for themselves. I resonate with these pushed aside and discarded items because I understand useless; a creator without creations, forced to address long-term unresolved damage. The works are me, but they are also a bit of everyone who struggles.

Each piece begins with reclaimed objects that are no longer useful for their intended purpose, discarded or buried in deep corners of closets and storage units. Presented as sculptural mixed media, each one is driven by the nature of its source material. I join each item’s history with a new future. By altering these objects, I retell their story. The Walking Canes are in direct response to my sister’s Parkinson’s while the Top Hat speaks to my first artistic inspiration – my grandfather.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

A smooth road? Of course not. While many things look wonderful and “shiny” in social media, I assure you, in my case, they are not. The project that was stolen in 2018 was a 7 year endeavor in response to my mother’s battle with lifelong mental illness and ultimately her death. Beginning the night she passed away, I spent years deconstructing her life as the matriarch of our family then reconstructing my life as contextualized through that history. The theft of that body of work, for me, was the death of my mother all over again. In many ways, my real mourning started that day. I needed to figure out how to start again – and I did.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

My work focuses on reclaimed materials. Old rags and bed linens become new again and take on new life, objects like cast iron pans, a toilet, and a hat, become the vessel and the stage for miniature scenes celebrating their past usefulness and the spirit of their former owners. Other work, such as in my series “I Can Walk With Your Help”, uses new materials to create reimagined replicas of everyday objects that are often taken for granted or as in the case of a cane, scorned.

Through conversation, storytelling, and discussion we know when the work makes space for people to honor their own past and connect with something that otherwise sits below the surface. That is when I know that we in the studio are accomplishing what we set out to do.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?

New York City is a center of the global art markets and creative culture. My studio in TriBeCa, in southern Manhattan, is surrounded by the art community. That energy is wonderful. I am always taken aback by how much inspiration comes from simply walking the streets, bumping into people, and popping into shops. As an artist working with unconventional materials, the resources available to us are endless. Sometimes when sleuthing out one production solution an entirely different solution presents itself. Creative ideas and networking is readily available with weekly openings, galleries, and both specialty and world class museums. Being able to create and work in this community is a gift.

That being said, NYC can be challenging to navigate especially with some of my larger work. Not everywhere has elevators that can fit our largest textile piece, and the bed piece needs to be disassembled every time we show it. But these obstacles are a reminder of how many accessibility issues there are for others. While we may struggle to park, navigate stairs with awkward pieces, or load / unload a van, others struggle every day with uneven sidewalks, old or non-existent curb cuts, and so many stairs. It is a reminder that the wonders of this city do not matter if everyone cannot access them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.joannesteinhardt.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/JoanneSteinhardt
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1B8gLzKYuK/?mibextid=wwXIfr