AARH Magazine - issue 1

A ARH ISSUE 1 MAY 2014

Claus Peder Pedersen Mariusz Lemiecha | Troels Sønder OIsen Rick Er fmann | Line Lisberg Refstrup

A A R H M AGA ZI N E – IS SU E O N E

A ARH ISSUE 1 MAY 2014

AARH are: Theis Kellberg Jess Porse Clemmensen

Find us here: aarh.dk facebook.com/aarhdk flickr.com/groups/aarhmagazine

Cover photo by Claus Peder Pedersen

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TA BL E O F CO N TEN TS – FEBRUA RY 2014

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Claus Peder Pedersen

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Mariusz Lemiecha

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Troels Sønder Olsen

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Line Lisberg Refstrup

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Rick Erfmann

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A A R H M AGA ZI N E – IS SU E O N E

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A A R H M AGA ZI N E – IS SU E O N E

AN URBAN INVESTIGA What is the series of pictures about?

Is there a theme or a structure unifying the work?

This series is an investigation of a new u ­ rban area in the port of Aarhus, Denmark. A former container terminal has been moved to a new site some years ago and the cleared area is slowly being built up. I have followed this process for a few years, starting in 2010 when no buildings were yet constructed.

I am an architect and this background probably plays a role in my interest in the area. Yet at the same time I try to disregard my professional knowledge of architecture and urban planning when I photograph there. The photographs do not aim for the wide-angle glorification of buildings that often characterizes architectural photography. Neither are they critical examinations of urban­ ization processes and their con­ sequences. The photographs are rather driven by a fascination of the ever-changing character of the site: The building structures in their various unfinished states, piles of gravel constantly being moved around, the gradually disappearing residues of the previous activities, colorful building materials ­m omentarily exposed during the construction processes and traces of various temporary

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activities taking place as a consequence of the in-­b etween state of the area.

The work is documentary in the sense that it portrays the characteristics of a ­ s pecific site during a particular period.

And does so without altering the situations that are photographed.

However it is not the intention to create a coherent narrative and even less to capture the ­‘essence’ of the site. Chronology does play a role as the building processes creates continuously new situations to be photographed, but it is an underlying theme rather than a structuring device that orders the series. I strive to give each photograph a sense of autonomy and create a big diversity among the images of the series. I try to emphasize this aspect by taking photos during all seasons, in all kinds of weather from sun to snow storm and during day and night.

The series is eclectic in the sense that it is the location that ties it together but no scene or no detail is to small or to big to be included. Almost none of the photo­ graphs include human figures, but they all contains traces of human activities. The photographs documents post-events rather than events.

Something has already taken place before

CL AUS PED ER PED ERSEN

ATION the photograph and the ­viewer is left with the more or less meaningful traces of this event. On the one hand the lack of an event to be portrayed opens the photographs towards an exploration of colors, textures and configurations of elements. On the other the traces give the photographs something inexplicable, perhaps occasionally even ­absurd, as the viewer tries to make sense of the scene.

trait of the English town Plymouth. I enjoy the e ­ clectic and idiosyncratic photographs with a strong sense of the absurd, and how the hugely different photographs comes ­together as a complex whole.

Where can people find out more about your work?

I do not have a website (yet) but I am present on flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/claus_peder/

What influences your work?

Probably a lot of things but to narrow it down I think three books in different ways has been an inspiration to the work. Joachim Brohms ‘Areal’ shares a similar theme to my series. Brohm photographed the urbanization of an industrial district of a German town over a decade, and explored the visual and textural complexity of the changes. This richness is an inspiration to me even though my photographs are more formal than Brohm’s. Gerry Johansson’s ‘Pontiac’ documents the decaying North American town Pontiac.

What I really appreciate about this work is Johansson’s ability to frame and compose the desolate urban situations in strong formally precise compositions without aestheticizing and abstracting the content. Robin Maddock’s ‘God forgotten face’ is a por-

I recently published a small book.

It is part of a series of artistic projects published by the Aarhus School of Architecture, The Jutland Art Academy, and the indepen­ dent publisher Antipyrine. More info about it here: http://bit.ly/1rC4utu (in Danish).

What are your plans for future projects?

The project of Aarhus will probably go on for a while, as the area is still dev­e l­o ping.

It is getting increasingly difficult to find new ­m otives but I believe the ­increasing amount of people living there will create new s­ ituations and opportunities. I am working on ­ other projects which are still in their very early stages and I have started taking on small commissions, mostly relating to ­architectural ­p hotography.

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M ARIUSZ LEMIECHA » My experience with photography has started almost fifteen years ago and it has changed over time corresponding to me, to my feelings, emotions, places I live.

Now photography for me is like ­telling a story about darkness, loneliness, weirdness, reactions between different matters and structures – that is what inspire me the most.

I really enjoy observing reality keeping an eye on details, even when they seem to be banal.

The most appealing element partici­ pating in my recent photography is ­d efinitely the light. I am still amazed how it can change everything, it can provide calm, emphasize emptiness, or just make pictures look surreal. And this is what compels me to think, something that actually carries me in photography and let me stay inspired. «

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A ARH ISSUE ONE

BETON PLANTAGE

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WORK

I’m showing pictures from two different series. One is “Beton (stål og glas)” wich translates to “Concrete (steel and glass)”.

The broader theme is the current material trends in the buildings that surrounds us.

A high usage of materials with a p ­ lastic ­v alue that can be bent to our needs, through construction methods like ­ a dvanced formwork and high tech glazing. A freedom from boring constraints, a freedom to ­ c reate.

But what do we actually gain, and loose?

Do we miss the tactile surfaces from wood and stone? Did something good come from those constraints?

BETON

The second series is “Plantage”. That translates into “Plantation” and covers the ­n ature in the large forest-plantations here in D ­ enmark. Obviously there is a large industrial production of wood. But at the same time, there is also in selected areas a planned nature. Here there is space for walking and mountain bike routes, a self planting mix of trees, bushes, grasses, ­w ater plants and so on. Also the beaver has been re-introduced to the danish nature and the resulting effect is an acceleration of biodiversity, where the streams are blocked creating overflow that in turn attracts i­nsects, small animals and predators. All this I try to investigate and make pictures of.

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Most of my work starts with me sort of stumb­ ling. I have found out that I’m not all that good at planning out and that I sort of need to look back, and can then see a coherent theme. So I go out, either with friends or family, or by myself. See something that attracts my eye and take a picture. Later on, I get the film developed, scanned, and sorted into series and see patterns in the pictures that have something but don’t quite

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fit in anywhere. From there I keep this work in mind, and can go out on specific trips to explore a theme further.

My influeces or I would say I’m attracted to style of the photographers from the Düsseldorf School and especially the work of Candida Höfer, Simone Nieweg and Thomas Struth. But I also enjoy the work of Per Bak Jensen, Stephen Shore, David Ward, Kirsten Klein, and several others.

BETON

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I’m planning to continue my work on these two series. They have reached a mature level, so the additions will from now on refine the work already produced, a thing I find quite important. For a long time I have been attracted to technical cameras and think they would make a good fit to my style, even if that would require more deliberate planning. To be honest, I’m a little unsure what will come next. Perhaps an investigation of urban nature/landscape architecture or infrastructure. But then again, it could also turn into something entirely different.

I’m open to suggestions.

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I have two places people can see more of my work. My website is www.soender.com and that acts like my portfolio. I also have a flickr account www.flickr.com/photos/olsen/ where I upload work in progress, that is to say both work that will get collected into series and work that is later on rejected or phased out from series.

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LINE LISBERG REFSTRUP ILLUSTR ATIONS

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