Screen vs. Printout

In my imagination, I walk into a room that creates a unique and cultivated atmosphere. It is not only the well-chosen materials on the floor and on the walls and the tasteful details of the furnishings that make this place so special. It is also the bouquet of flowers and the soft light on the wall with a haunting and eye-catching image of a Japanese pagoda behind chaotically growing leaves.

What seems important to me when working on photographs can hardly be rendered by digital media. It is the physically tangible “object” on the wall or on the sideboard that must acquire its own charisma. It is the structure of the paper behind the anti-reflective glass and the graphic subtleties and tonalities of the printout that are supposed to transcend the world of reflection to make a real impression on us. The depth of the picture’s black level, the unobtrusive framing, the changing of contrasts depending on ambient lighting, … my photographs make it possible to sensually experience all of these things in the real world.

A good picture attracts attention. It even forces us to give it attention. However, we might not experience this attention as obtrusive or unwanted. The loudness is not essential; it often is even an obstacle. If a picture is to tell its “story” over and over again, and if it is to retain its effect for a long time, too much obviousness or triviality is unhelpful.