Portrait of Ellie Mae Photograph

"Just living is not enough", said the butterfly. "One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower" (Hans Christian Andersen) For twenty years I have photographed objects, mostly consumer goods relating to the fashion and design industries. Interest for the medium arose during internships while at Fachhochschule München. My exploratory path led to Los Angeles where I was introduced to a more formal aspect of still life photography. To this day I remain grateful for the wealth of advice and support received in establishing and maintaining a commercial career as well as further my artistic aspirations. I was always drawn to the naturalistic or realistic interpretation of nature or landscape and spent much time refining darkroom techniques in the attempt to master the printed image. Today, with a fully digital workflow much of this happens in-camera and while this seemingly devalues the aspect of image refinement from a traditional point of view, it also frees up creative potential. Departing from a solely realistic depiction of environmental photography I am aiming to introduce movement and capture a scenery without interrupting the flow of things. Tonality and form blend together and interact almost painterly, resulting in a visual abstraction, inviting the viewer to recreate the scene. In reversal, working with layers of paint on paper or other textured material, form and shape are reduced to a monochromatic abstraction on a contrasting background. The final image is a composition of light and the colorized intermediate. Travel at home and abroad serve as constant inspiration, yet the inspiration to a compassionate project didn’t derive from far and beyond. I connected with a local rescue group to photograph a series of farm animals, classic portrait style on black background. This was not about iconic images of show animals, rather about animals widely regarded as bred for food and therefore often dismissed from public awareness. Some of the animals in the series were saved after being discarded in giant dumpsters, others arrived from cruelty cases. All are scarred externally or internally, yet there is beauty in their trust. A tribute to dignity regained. All work is digital media and printed on contemporary archival material.