Deadpole
Whitespace is an important element of design which enables the objects in it to exist at all. What whitespace is to other visual arts is fog to me: The space where I arrange my picture elements to accent remarkable observations in the surrounding landscape. With my approach between documentary and art I try to draw attention to the impact of changes of our environment. Because I think in nowaday's flood of pictures some kind of special visual feature is necessary to accent environmental topics.
One long-term project is the monitoring of the spruce forests in the border triangle of Germany, Czech Republic and Austria - therefore I want to share some new impressions from this project. The monitored area is mostly covered by the National Parks "Bavarian Forest" and "Sumava" and it's interesting to see how the mountain forests develop after several serious hazards like storms or the attack of bark beetles. Starting with heavy storm catastrophes in 1870 and 1929 the structure of the forest was changed due to reforestation. Where before mixed forests grew new woods with mainly spruces are covering the slopes now. These spruces were again hit heavily by storms in the 90ties of last century and also last year. Due to the monostructure (and also climatic changes and acid rain) the weakened trees were easy victims for the bark beetle invasion. Hundreds of square kilometers of spruce forests died in the last three decades.
But the death of those spruces is also the opportunity for a almost natrual mixed forest to grow up in the next years. The fog covers the still small new generation of trees between the pale poles. So though the wooden skeletons convey hopelessness there is new hope hidden behind the fog. And actually the change happens quite fast, in 20 years most of the now possible views will be covered by trees again and this photo series wouldn't be possible anymore.
