Major Practical Project - Laurenz Berges

Laurenz Berges studied at the Dusseldorf school of art under the instruction of Bernd Becher. The body of work that most interests me in the context of my project, is that of Berges' documentation of the abandoned military barracks, once home to the Soviet Army during the years of the Nazi regime. His images are of interiors that are, for the most part, empty. However, traces of human activity still often remains in the images, reminding the viewer of what had been there before. Here follows a brief background to the project, which can be found here: http://www.ifa.de/en/exhibitions/exhibitions-abroad/foto/presentation-representation/die-kuenstler/laurenz-berges/

" Laurenz Berges is a chronicler of absence. His minimalist photographs point to the earlier use of spaces, only fragments of which are shown, whose inhabitants have put them to other, new uses. Berges depicts the traces of this change in austere images that, due to their reduction, tell their stories indirectly and almost involuntarily. These are stories about the existential significance certain spaces have for our identity, and also about their transitoriness and their loss."

©Laurenz Berges

©Laurenz Berges

©Laurenz Berges

©Laurenz Berges

With these images, the subject matter is not this thing I relate to the most, more Berges photographic style. However, it is easy to notice that the photographer has focused on the small details of the place that catch his eye as opposed to giving the viewer wide, expansive views of each room. This way of shooting would provide the viewer with more visual information, but wouldn't be nearly as effective or pique our interest as much. For me, a very simple image of a bit of rumpled carpet, or the latch of a window is far more powerful at communicating the fact that there used to be humans here. than just demonstrating it in a more obvious manner. Aesthetically, the neutral, white lighting and almost bleak, washed out colours reflect the way the building has been left, devoid of life.The image that intrugues me most is that of the window, with a dirty, tatty looking curtain on the laft hand side of the frame. The only colour in the image is provided by a slightly dubious pattern on the curtain, in a dull green. I can almost imagine someone standing at the window, looking out at the world.
In my images, I aim to communicate almost the opoosite of Berges - that the house I grew up in still has life left in it. However, the set of aesthetics that he employs allow the subject matter to speak for itself, without the involvement of dramatic constructed lighting casting a set of connotations over the image we see. Berges' images are neutral and simple, recording the space in an almost detatched way. However, when you read the background information about the project, the viewer applies a whole new set of emotions to the photographs. Our understanding of the project builds the longer we spend with it. which is something I aim to replicate in my images.