The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE
Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE
My subject matter for the Series: 'How Do You Restructure Form?' The first written mention of the Nail-Tree Talisman is in 1533. The Austrian Folklorist, Leopold Schmidt, suggested that it symbolizes Vienna's Mythical Center.

RIGHT photo: Today it is preserved under glass indicated by the red arrow.

Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE
My 4 month–long ritual at dawn making frottages of the building's footprint, or rather, Vienna's Mythical Center.

Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE
The process of frottage using red carbon paper. Even the police came to watch.

Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE
An image of the Palais Equitable's Floor Plan. I'd always start where I left off the previous day. For clarity, I worked outside the building.

Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE
Towards the end of the 19th Century, the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States was the most successful in the world.

LEFT Photo: The headquarters of the 'Equitable Life Building' in New York City was completed in 1870.
RIGHT Photo: The address of the Palais Equitable Building in Vienna is the most exclusive in all of Austria. It was completed for the American Company in 1891.

Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE
I would place the paper horizontally with half of it on the exterior wall and the other half with its corresponding ground.

How Do You Restructure Form? No. 13, 2020
Red carbon paper frottage on Silberburg B. Handmade paper, acrylic, ink and gum arabic
38” x 25”

Photo Documentation by Leonhard Hilzensauer

Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE
I bought various papers like Silberburg B. Handmade Paper, Hahnemühle, Japanese Rice Papers just before the first Lockdown in March 2020.

Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE
Inspired by the healing properties of Citrine and its color.

Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE
Candle on a single frottage of Silberburg Handmade Paper. It is the color I would use throughout the works—a light lime–yellow abstract color shape is seen in most of the frottage backgrounds.

Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE
Tumeric used for its healing properties

Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE
Citrine colored acrylic finds its way into most of the centers as an abstract shape.
Work in Progress in the 'Q21 Artist in Residency' Studio, Vienna, Austria

Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE
I became curious how I could layer the frottages and then how I could manipulate the red carbon lines once I was in the studio again.

Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE
A few weeks into the project, I began using espresso to stain the rice paper to give it an aged look like that of Indian Tantric Drawings.

Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE
Each time I would visit the building, I would continue working on the piece in the studio.

Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE 36" x 24"
'How Do You Restructure Form?' No's 38 + 39
Red carbon frottage on Shoji Rice Paper, acrylic, graphite, ink, espresso
36" x 24"

Photo Documentation by Alan Wiener

Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE
Each time I would make a frottage of the footprint, I would number and date it. Some works on paper have up to five or six layered frottages/ numbers.

Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE Layered red carbon frottage, espresso, colored pencil, pastel, gouache, ink, acrylic on Silberburg B. handmade paper
How Do You Restructure Form? Nos. 33,43,68+69
2020
Layered red carbon frottage, espresso, colored pencil, pastel, gouache, ink, acrylic on Silberburg B. handmade paper
38" x 25"

Photo Documentation by Leonhard Hilzensauer
Collection K. Moser, Berndorf, Austria

Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE
Me, holding a piece of carbon paper during my Open Studio at the end of my Q21 Art Residency in 2020.

Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE


Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE
65 Works on Paper consisting of 192 frottages from the entire footprint of the Palais Equitable. Last day in the big studio from Q21 in the Museumsquartier, Vienna, Austria, 2020.

Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE
Overview Snapshot of 65 Works on Paper consisting of 192 frottages - 2022

In order to work on this body of work, I need ample studio space. Here I was able to continue working on the images for two months, January 2022. I am actively seeking funding in order to complete 'How Do You Restructure Form?'
Following images are from 2022.

Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE red carbon frottage with mixed media
Installation View DETAIL of Silberburg B. Handmade Paper pieces
2022
red carbon frottage with mixed media
38" x 25"

The middle two pieces are seen from their original backs.

Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE red carbon frottage with mixed media
Another Installation View DETAIL of Silberburg B. Handmade Paper pieces
2020- 2022
red carbon frottage with mixed media
38" x 25"

The left piece is still seen from its original front. The other two are not. The paper responds to the frottage like a relief, especially in the right piece, and it appears as if the image is emerging from within the paper.

Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE red carbon paper frottages on espresso stained Shoji Paper with mixed media
Installation View of Espresso Stained Frottages
2020-2022
red carbon paper frottages on espresso stained Shoji Paper with mixed media
36" x 24"

Nicola Ginzel The Realignment of the Nail–Tree Talisman: How Do You Restructure Form? PHASE I - 2020-22 - CLICK HERE
'How Do You Restructure Form?' Nos. 108 + 109, 2020-22
Red Carbon Paper Frottage with acrylic, ink, watercolor, stitched wool by hand, pastel, marker, colored pencil on espresso stained Shoji Paper , 36" x 24"

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