June 2026
in memoriamElfie Semotan
With the death of Elfie Semotan, artistic photography loses one of its defining figures. Her photographic legacy is extensive. Particularly noteworthy is her presence across different genres, in each of which she developed her own distinctive signature. EIKON reported on the artist in three issues of EIKON magazine. Issue #55 (2006) featured an article by Silvie Aigner on the borderland between fashion and art; #95 (September 2016) paid tribute to her photographic still lifes in a text by Elena Brugnano; and in issue #114 (June 2021), Ferdinand Schmatz approached Semotan’s photographic work from a literary perspective.
On the occasion of 30 years of EIKON, a reprint edition of “Untitled (Kritzendorf, Vienna)”, an early work from 1978, was released as an edition.
The motif “New Jersey Shopping” from 2003/2006 was also available as an edition from EIKON, but is already sold out.
The photographer’s works had a major influence and were discussed and appreciated by EIKON over many years.
Anyone who poses is essentially showing the image of themselves they see in their own mirror, but that doesn’t always match what others perceive of the person. I try to break up that stance. The fact that the fashion industry is increasingly relying on interchangeable faces doesn’t make it any easier.
Elfie Semotan
Elfie Semotan photographed the people she encountered on these journeys, and she composes fashion around the landscape in a radical formal alignment with the geometric legibility of this nature.
Silvie Aigner