Eva Lauterlein
dal 13/12/2007 al 1/2/2008
Segnalato da
13/12/2007
Eva Lauterlein
Herrmann & Wagner, Berlin
Chimeres. The artist merges various aspects of a face, photographed from various angles. The result is disturbing because the metamorphosis is radical and yet hardly noticeable. Merging the facets perfectly by the digital process makes it impossible to make a guess at the original faces.
Within the series Young Swiss Photography the gallery HERRMANN & WAGNER presents the first solo exhibition of the artist Eva Lauterlein. Her impressive portraits have earned several photo awards already. Like Miklos Gaál, who is also represented by the gallery, she is one of the photographic talents of the exhibition “re-Generation, 50 Photographers of tomorrow”. This exhibition and culture project, initiated by the Musée de l´Elysée in Lausanne unites a shortlist of the 50 most hopeful young photographic talents of the world. Lauterlein’s portrait series “chimères” will now be shown for the first time in Berlin.
The title relates to the chimeras, after the mythological creatures which, according to Homer, consist of a lion, a goat and a dragon. Eva Lauterlein merges various aspects of a face, photographed from various angles. The result is disturbing because the metamorphosis is radical and yet hardly noticeable. Merging the facets perfectly by the digital process makes it impossible to make a guess at the original faces.
The artist shows us a seemingly serious person with frozen features. This is powerful and yet disturbing. The curious look is void. There is no contact either to the viewer nor with the surroundings. This refusal to reveal an identity, to make contact or just to please makes Eva Lauterlein’s chimeras strangely independent and free. But their true identity is hidden. The serial titles like “chimères 04” underlines this intention additionally.
The portraits by Eva Lauterlein are easy to remember, since the faces can’t be read as usual. The rules of recognizing faces have been abolished which makes it difficult for the viewer to take an emotional position: are the chimeras attractive or pleasant? The irritation of perception has an echo that will be reverberating for a long time.
Herrmann & Wagner
Koppenplatz 6 - Berlin
Free admission