Stil-Leben

Stil-Leben

2019-2020

 

№ 18

This work has its origins in Beckmann’s personal history of sensitivity to various foods. When eating a simple meal has the potential to cause one pain, both mental and physical distress can often result in a downward spiral; a surge of trauma ensues which quite simply becomes impossible to ignore. In order to heal, a holistic examination of food and the ‘self’ has been necessary.

The series “Stil-Leben” expresses the artist’s love of wholesome, nutritious food while documenting his struggle for this balance of the physical and spiritual. Thoughts here find their formal aesthetic in the arrangement of cutlery together with vegetables.

The specific, material nature of the body and content of pictures is reflected in respective counterparts; ‘inorganic’ silver cutlery and ‘organic’ plants are represented through silver gelatine. The silver gelatine itself is a combination of organic and inorganic material.

Other carrier materials here are glass and Japanese tissue paper. Due to their transparency, the works have something ‘lung-like’, or ‘membrane-like’ about them. The images interact with light and depending on the viewing angle they do change their radiance, effect, and general appearance.

The photographs shown on this website are digital scans of the physical negatives. The analogue positives or enlargements of these negatives on glass and tissue paper are limited editions and should ideally be experienced as originals in space and time.
Translation by Zack Holland, 2020

 

Diese Arbeit hat ihren Ursprung in Beckmanns persönlicher Geschichte einer sensiblen Verdauung. Wenn Nahrungsaufnahme potenziellen Schmerz bedeutet, führt das häufig in eine psychosomatische Abwärtsspriale. Um diese umzukehren, bedarf es dann der ganzheitlichen Auseinandersetzung mit der Nahrung und sich selbst.

Die Serie “Stil-Leben” ist des Künstlers Liebesbeweiß an gesunde Nahrung und Ausdruck seines Ringens um ein psychisch-physisches Gleichgewicht. Diese Gedanken finden ihre formal ästhetische Entsprechung im Arrangement des Bestecks mit dem Gemüse, so wie deren Übersetzung in die zweidimensionale Fotografie.

Die spezifische, materielle Beschaffenheit von Bildkörper und Bildinhalt findet sich im jeweiligen Gegenüber wieder. Anorganisches Silberbesteck und organische Pflanzen werden in Silbergelatine dargestellt. Silbergelatine ist dabei schon selbst eine Verbindung aus organisch und anorganischem Material.

Weitere Trägermaterialien sind Glas und japanisches Seidenpapier. Die Arbeit hat durch ihre Transparenz etwas atmendes, membranhaftes. Die Bilder spielen mit dem Licht und je nach Betrachtungswinkel verändern sie ihre Strahlkraft und Wirkung.

Die auf dieser Website gezeigten Fotografien sind digitale Scans der physischen Negative. Die analogen Positive bzw. Vergrößerungen dieser Negative auf Glas und Seidenpapier, sind limitierte Editionen und sollen in Raum und Zeit als Originale erfahren werden.

 

 

Life on stake is an analogue black and white series on medium format and printed on silvergelatin, glass and silkpaper. It showes vegetables and cuttlery on metal sticks. It tries to rise awerness of the importance to eat more vegetables and less meat in times of the climate crisis, global warming, climate change

№ 15

 

Stiel-Leben_2019_No6

№ 20

 

№22

 

Life on stake is an analogue black and white series on medium format and printed on silvergelatin, glass and silkpaper. It showes vegetables and cuttlery on metal sticks. It tries to rise awerness of the importance to eat more vegetables and less meat in times of the climate crisis, global warming, climate change

№ 7

 

Stiel-Leben_2019_No13

№ 23

 

Life on stake is an analogue black and white series on medium format and printed on silvergelatin, glass and silkpaper. It showes vegetables and cuttlery on metal sticks. It tries to rise awerness of the importance to eat more vegetables and less meat in times of the climate crisis, global warming, climate change

№ 9

 

№ 25

 

Stiel-Leben_ArrangementNo21

№ 27

 

№ 21

 

№ 28

 

Stiel-Leben_ArrangementNo19

№ 24

 

Life on stake is an analogue black and white series on medium format and printed on silvergelatin, glass and silkpaper. It showes vegetables and cuttlery on metal sticks. It tries to rise awerness of the importance to eat more vegetables and less meat in times of the climate crisis, global warming, climate change

№ 11

 

Life on stake is an analogue black and white series on medium format and printed on silvergelatin, glass and silkpaper. It showes vegetables and cuttlery on metal sticks. It tries to rise awerness of the importance to eat more vegetables and less meat in times of the climate crisis, global warming, climate change

№ 13

 

Life on stake is an analogue black and white series on medium format and printed on silvergelatin, glass and silkpaper. It showes vegetables and cuttlery on metal sticks. It tries to rise awerness of the importance to eat more vegetables and less meat in times of the climate crisis, global warming, climate change

№ 5

 

№ 3

 

Stiel-Leben_ArrangementNo20

№ 29

 

Stiel-Leben_ArrangementNo16

№ 30

 

№ 31

 

Stiel-Leben_ArrangementNo18

№ 19

 

Stiel-Leben_2020_No33

№ 33

 

 

 

Exhibition view of the analogue silver gelatin prints on glass and tissue paper.

The Photos sit on angle screws and lean against the wall. Day light from the right results in a luminous gradiant from the the bottom right corner to the top left. The photos are translucent and change the way they reflect the light from different view points.

 

Silbergelatine auf Glas und Seidenpapier, 60 x 80 cm.

Silver gelatin on glass and tissue paper, 60 x 80 cm. Edition of 7 + 1 AP

 

Silver gelatin on glass and tissue paper, 33 x 60 cm. Edition of 10 + 1 AP

 

Silver gelatin on glass and tissue paper, 43 x 52 cm. single piece this size, print from 2019.

 

Silver gelatin on glass and tissue paper, 60 x 90 cm. Edition of 7 + 1 AP.

 

Silver gelatin on glass and tissue paper, 60 x 80 cm. Edition of 7 + 1 AP

 

Silver gelatin on glass and tissue paper, 60 x 80 cm. Edition of 7 + 1 AP

 

Silver gelatin on glass and tissue paper, 33 x 60 cm. Edition of 10 + 1 AP