2
THIRT Y THREE MAG
OCTOBER 2014
3
SEOUL, KOREA
4
THIRT Y THREE MAG
OCTOBER 2014
THIRT Y THREE MAG
OCTOBER 2014
5
THIRT Y THREE MAG
OCTOBER 2014
THIRT Y THREE MAG
OCTOBER 2014
7
CONFRONT cnfrnt.co.uk
8
THIRT Y THREE MAG
OCTOBER 2014
THIRT Y THREE MAG
OCTOBER 2014
ryan clifford may kim isaac gertman
OCTOBER 2014
THIRT Y THREE MAG
10
THIRT Y THREE MAG
OCTOBER 2014
11
ryan clifford may kim isaac gertman
12
RG: How do you think Berlin’s industrial harshness influenced your photographs? Are you aware of it in your works? TF: I am aware, indeed, of Berlin being one of the most art centered and cultural city in Germany and internationally. Architecture of Germany itself is quite inspiring and beautifully colored most of the time. I appreciate collaborating with other artists digitally. RG: What gives you inspiration? Do you have specific interest that you explore often in your works? TF: Everything has potential, so I can’t say directly what inspires me explicitly. As a creating creative I try to accept the properties of a sponge. Record and store content and deliver those if required. Much of my inspiration I gain from a general interest in everything that surrounds me. I look at photographs as poetry in a way, expressing my emotions.
RG: What are your influences? TF: I grew up in a small village in the Black Forest, and I think that a lot of my experiences from this period are included in my work. In addition the Hip Hop culture and graffiti has influenced me. In general, l have a strong interest for the eccentric and people which fall out of the frame in a sympathetic way. RG: How did you first start taking photos? Do you remember? TF: The images show my area of current interests very well. The interface between photography and sculpture. In addition, one sees little allusions to the Bechers or Christo and J. Claude whose work I like very much. One can see here very well the changes in the perception of an object in relation to the size, shape and location especially by combining actually different things with similarities in shape. Art puts me often in
the mundane or everyday and that’s what I’m trying to illustrate, among other things in this series. RG: What does photography mean to you? What’s your purpose? TF: Photography for me is based a lot on the phylosphie of mindfulness. Through photography I can reach a special state of awareness, as I place the focus on my visual sense. In this way Im able to relax and take distance from everyday life. On the other hand, I am a curious human being and like to explore my surroundings. I got this opinion that everybody sees things a little bit different, with photography I have the opportunity to make my particular point of view visible. So I can inspire others to see what they normally would not see in daily basis. Other than going outside and taking photos, I really enjoy connecting with my Internet friends via Instagram, Facebook or Tumblr. Social media can be used greatly to share and mail artworks.
13
ryan clifford may kim isaac gertman
OCTOBER 2014
THIRT Y THREE MAG
14
15
16
THIRT Y THREE MAG
OCTOBER 2014
THIRT Y THREE MAG
OCTOBER 2014
17
ryan clifford may kim isaac gertman
RG: You most often shoot outdoors, scenes that most people might just walk past and not notice; a white square painted onto a tree, a stain (or shadow) on a cement wall, a motorcycle with a weather tarp… Have you always had a heightened sense of awareness of your surroundings enabling you to notice these non-places/non-subjects? TF: My studies have changed my perception greatly, like as if I had poor eyesight and then got a pair of glasses. My perception is altered and more focused. I sometimes notice that when I am taking a picture and a passer-by will ask me what I am actually photographing. Then I wonder if I have a heightened perception or if I am just crazy because something banal can inspire me. I think that perception is a question of training and, as with many things, it’s a talent that can be improved upon and repetition plays a major role. A person who is trained in a specific technology will naturally look at the world very differently than me. His perception has been altered in a whole different way and he is seeing the world through another set of filters. When an engineer and I look at an industrial complex, his focus would likely be on its technological aspects and mine on its external appearance. Thus, one type of increased perception result in a blind-spot when it comes to other aspects of something. RG: Why do you find the banal photo-worthy? What draws your eye to such ordinary things? TF: For me, the magic lies in everyday things that get less attention, where there is still room to discover and explore. The obvious, everyone can see, and that can be boring to me. People tend to see beauty only in small socially defined frameworks. A sunset is beautiful and kittens are cute because these scenes are defined to us as such from an early age. With photography, I’m able to question our standards of beauty. I would not question the beauty of a sunset but it can still bore me. I want 18
to show there are other worthwhile subjects to be photographed. Often, when I look at other people’s photographs of something like a vacation, I wonder if they have merely been somewhere and viewed that experience only through their preexisting stereotypes. You can google two words and get the same results as the photographs, whereas a commitment to what’s interesting in the everyday requires focus and an eye for detail. There is a nice quote from Viktor Sklovskij. RG: There is also an element of humor to your work, in pictures such as the one of a snow plow with a cover, whose headlights take on some sort of video game creature’s characteristics, images of 18-wheeler trucks with airbrushed bears and/or the grim reaper on the side, a manicured office garden park where one of the very green shrubs looks like it is about to fall over and die… Some of the found sculptural constructions are also humorous. Are your images evidence proving that the world is just one large, ridiculous, imperfect place? TF: Perfection does not exist in my opinion. There is only striving for it.
Perfection is subjective. The curious things that are often imperfect or embody surprising deviations fascinate me and usually have a humorous side. I like art which, despite its seriousness, also has room for humor. In my case, this is usually a sense of humor that is subtle and not immediately accessible. Humor, especially in photography, can also be very specific to an individual. If I use an image of truck airbrushed in a certain way, I do not think the driver has chosen those images because he thinks they are funny. It’s likely the opposite in that he feels proud and that they embody his personality and his work. The question then is whether the image as art is making fun of a subject or rather just admiring the craftsmanship of the airbrush. This is another example of
how multi-faceted photography can be and how much it can tell us about individuals and human nature. My photographs ask questions even if they just appear to be funny. Are there any artists who use humor/ wit in their artwork that you admire? Martin Parr and Joel Sternfeld come to mind right away. Not many other photographers in Germany or in other countries immediately come to mind. Maybe because photography is still taken very seriously and academically, perhaps too seriously.
RG: Most of your pictures are people-free. Do you prefer to photograph places that are void of humans? TF: The human as a physical sub ject plays a minor role in my photography. I think the human figure, perceived as an individual, would be more disruptive to my imagery than complimentary. When a human appears in a picture, that picture can often become primarily about the person and the environment becomes a backdrop. Combining an
environment and man in the same image increases the difficulty of a good photo for me. Quite often, one or the other element will end up lacking definition because of how time effects them differently.
Architecture and environments are very patient and I appreciate that, whereas the image of a man cannot usually convey exactly what is in my mind. When I photograph a street or an urban environment, the context I’m trying to lend the image is about human beings as a whole and not about any individual. Inevitably, the focus is on my culture and my surroundings and my perception. In another way, however, I am always photographing people, just through the actions and influence, even if they are not physically present. RG: What type of camera do you shoot with? A digital SLR, a film camera, or both? TF: I use both. But I use analog rather rarely as it is too expensive for me as a student and I’m too impatient. I also find the whole technical side of analog rather exhausting. Sometimes I wish that I had a little more patience for the analog because I think it would benefit my work. Maybe if I could devote myself exclusively to photography I would be more likely to devote the kind of time and money needed to analog photography.
the image to the front. I could talk forever about digital editing. RG: What artists/photographers do you find inspirational? Contemporary? TF: I like photographers that show me things and viewpoints that are hidden to me. I like photographers who devote themselves to topics for which I don’t have the courage or patience to take on. I won’t mention any names since they fade very quickly in my internet spoiled brain. RG: What could you imagine doing, if you didn’t do what you do? TF: Honestly, I’ve never think about it much. I have worked in perhaps twenty different occupations in my life. Never particularly long at any one, but still long enough to get an impression. However, I was already sure I wanted to be a graphic designer when I was 16. I am very grateful that I can do something I like for work. Sometimes I want a job with more adventure and travel opportunities, but maybe I can combine those things with what I do later.
RG: Do you use the computer as a tool when creating your photographs? Do you ever use Photoshop to edit images when finalizing a body of work? TF: For me, digital editing in photography is essential. What did Ruff say? “As little retouching as possible, as much retouching as necessary.” I see things exactly the same way. Retouching is a tool which, if used correctly, can provide a picture with exactly the little thing it needs to bring the whole statement behind
THIRT Y THREE MAG
OCTOBER 2014
Original Interview can be found on ilovethatphoto.net/2014/01/31/ interview-with-tobias-faisst.
19