Why Analogue?
Better to ask: wherefore analogue?
Even if analog photography seems like a relic from earlier days or as old-fashioned, in today's digitized world it takes on new meanings. Analog media have a special effect on us – a statement we like to make when we leaf through old photo albums or listen to vinyl records. And to make it clear: it's not about demonizing the digital, it's about the dedication to the analogue.
The subject of my work are photograpic images as analog media: unique gelatin silver prints from the darkroom. Thereby craft, imagery and intent are inseparable.
Dedication
The entire analog process – from the exposure of the film to the creation of a darkroom-print – requires the artist’s dedication in a special way. The process is determined by continuous personal development and craftsmanship, it's decelerated and reflexive. This makes it challenging in a very appealing way. I like to consciously expose myself to that. It is precisely the difficult that is appealing.
What does not require dedication is often arbitrary.
The personal dedication to the process and the materiality and singularity of the result give each print the unique aesthetic authority of a work of art.
Handmade Darkroom Prints
Exposed negatives are developed in my darkroom. These negatives are enlarged to photosensitive paper using various techniques. The exposed paper – like a film negative – then goes through the chemical process of development. The gradual appearance of a positive image on the photosensitive paper is a magical moment.
The prints are treated to meet the highest quality standards and are archive-proof. They are stabilized, well washed, gently dried, flattened and cut, signed and numbered.
Why Black and White?
Because the world is in colour.
Photography is always a subjective abstraction from reality and the photographers most original and extensive abstraction is to represent the world in black and white. Better said grayscale. It can be the fine gradations of these shades of gray, a fine tonal differentiation between shadows and lights or hard contrasts that characterize imagery. Working with these shades of gray, with lights and shadows, is the essence of analog black and white photography.
About Me
I love photography, from the muddy boots to the white gloves. My work is presented in local exhibitions, zines or at Dunkelkammer Bonn, where I also offer workshops.
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