The Riches of the Void

c-print 25x38 cm, framed 51x71 cm, edition 3+1
c-print 25x38 cm, framed 51x71 cm, edition 3+1

 

All three parts of „The Riches of the Void“ have been made in 2009 in La Graciosa, the smallest of the inhabitated islands of the Canarian Islands. La Graciosa is a volcanic island without water, without streets. Starting from the only village some sandy tracks cross the desert-like island. Only jeeps can drive on these tracks.

The photographic work deals with the question of „nothing“, which effects does it have, on what does the attention focuse in this emptyness, what comes out in this „nothing“. Doing that you have to pose the fondamental question about „nothing“ in contrast with „anything“, and about the richness in the „nothing“ and about the „nothing“ in the richness.

 


 

# Gardening

The inhabitants, mainly fisher-families, succeed in picking some fruits, herbs and vegetables in this desert area with the help of irrigation and fences, that shall protect from the heavy wind. Everything is used to construct the fences and some sheds: these are surprising traces of everydays life inmidst the desert plains. Old windows, doors, refrigerators, parts of boats and tools of their marine work they use to build windbreaks which often correspond in a bizzarre way with the silhouette of the volcans. Almost nobody is seen here. But the gardens talk about their owners. The sculptural quality and the strangeness of the buildings, the geometry of the void which is result of accurately built fences and sometimes meticulosely swept lava gravel, all this let me think: I wonder who are these gardeners?

Besides this narrative part my work deals with the question, on what does one's attention focuse in the void, what do we expect to see, what can we see and what can we not see.

 


# Transition

The macro-photographs of walls and painted surfaces represent one moment in the changing process of these surfaces. The very intense climate influences cause vivid colour traces. At a first glance they underline the timely aspect of delapidation. Being very detailed, the photographs nevertheless are abstract. In the daily perception we miss normally the riches of pictures that can be seen through this detailed and accurate view. That is the question about the riches in the supposed „nothing“, but also the question about the transition from photography to painting. 

 


Lambda-Print mounted on Alu-Dibond, 83x125 cm
Lambda-Print mounted on Alu-Dibond, 83x125 cm

 

# Magic Places

These photographs taken with a pinhole-camera deal with the magic attraction of some places in this lonely island. What can be seen beyond the surface, the visible? What can create a suction in the „nothing“? The place itself? The view of the spectator?