INTERVIEW BY MEDOC ART
ART MEDOC INTERVIEW WITH JORG BECKER
When and how do you start to create?
Inspired by the many art books of my father, I started painting and drawing at the age of 12 years. Architecture and art fascinated me and I quickly realized that these media would influence my life. At the age of 16, I discovered the pictures of Doisneau, Brassai, Ronis, Hamilton, Sieff and other famous photographers. I bought a Minox and tried to imitate the photos of these artists. But the results were sobering.
Do you went to an art school or self-taught?
While it is certainly possible to study art—photography in particular—at art school, doing so does not automatically make someone an artist. A true artist is creative by nature. I did not undergo formal art training; my teachers were life, experience, and, above all, my intuition. I am—to use the modern term—a "visual thinker."
Do you create as a professional or for your own?
I chose architecture as a source of money. I pursue the art of photography completely free of financial and social dependencies without compulsion, but professionally. So not to earn money or to find recognition, but because it is in me and enriches my life.
Inspired by the many art books of my father, I started painting and drawing at the age of 12 years. Architecture and art fascinated me and I quickly realized that these media would influence my life. At the age of 16, I discovered the pictures of Doisneau, Brassai, Ronis, Hamilton, Sieff and other famous photographers. I bought a Minox and tried to imitate the photos of these artists. But the results were sobering.
Do you went to an art school or self-taught?
While it is certainly possible to study art—photography in particular—at art school, doing so does not automatically make someone an artist. A true artist is creative by nature. I did not undergo formal art training; my teachers were life, experience, and, above all, my intuition. I am—to use the modern term—a "visual thinker."
Do you create as a professional or for your own?
I chose architecture as a source of money. I pursue the art of photography completely free of financial and social dependencies without compulsion, but professionally. So not to earn money or to find recognition, but because it is in me and enriches my life.
How do you learn and work your skill?
Over the years, I bought almost all good photographic volumes available in the 80s and 90s in the market. There was also very good photography magazines that were very informative at the time.I bought a mirror reflex camera and a photolab and learned photos to record and develop.
Exposure, focal length, viewing angle, moment, film sensitivity, lighting conditions, a variety of factors that make up a photo.
A completely different than the "click-and-finished world" of amateur photography did me. I always had my camera. See a motif, develop a picture in mind, realize with the camera and edit in the darkroom. And more and more I had the good results.
What are your favourite subject(s)?
Like many photographers, I started landscape photography, but also began at the same time with the nude and erotic photography which of course made me great fun, not least because I had the opportunity to take a beautiful girl to photograph. But also because I had really good results right away. Responsible was my infatuation.
Due to the many trips, the street photography became a big part of my photography. And that's really a highly interesting, if not the most interesting area of photography. Unfortunately, this is no longer like earlier. The personality rights are very protected in good reason. However, what many today's photographers does not stop taking photos in a city of foreign people, then for alienating them with a software and then represent this as art.
Since 2010 I live on the wildromantic French Atlantic coast on the Point de Médoc, a beautiful and very inspiring landscape. In this respect, nature photography has a high priority. But I can not say that I like a topic most. I have ideas, I see something and then I realize it.
How do you prepare a creation or project work?
As I said, I have an idea, I see a suitable subject and I decide to photograph it.
What are your prefered moment(s) when you create?
Photograph !! And the moment I realize that some good photos succeeded.
What are you trying to share via your art?
First and foremost, I photograph for myself, not for others. Creativity is a vital elixir that requires neither recognition nor self-promotion. Yet, through my work, I can share with others my perspective on the events, circumstances, and realities of the world and nature—as well as on moments I have witnessed and captured, and on my own visions.
Who are artists that fascinate or give you inspiration?
I am a member of many art platforms and of course I look at the photos and paintings that are posted. One or the other picture gives me incentives. And as already mentioned, I own a large number of art and photo books by various artists. I look at these books again and again, especially on the winter evenings. But what inspires me most is nature.
What equipment and / or technology do you use?
I do not want to and will not advertise a brand here. Between 1986 and 2004 I mainly worked with a mechanical SLR camera. It wasn't that difficult and, above all, completely manual!
When the good films disappeared from the market, I started with the digital cameras with a heavy heart. After an initial “getting to know” with a simple digital camera and an intensive study of digital photography, I then decided on the “Four Thirds System” because it was completely redeveloped for digital photography, i.e. camera and lenses. And that turned out to be a very good decision.
Over the years, I bought almost all good photographic volumes available in the 80s and 90s in the market. There was also very good photography magazines that were very informative at the time.I bought a mirror reflex camera and a photolab and learned photos to record and develop.
Exposure, focal length, viewing angle, moment, film sensitivity, lighting conditions, a variety of factors that make up a photo.
A completely different than the "click-and-finished world" of amateur photography did me. I always had my camera. See a motif, develop a picture in mind, realize with the camera and edit in the darkroom. And more and more I had the good results.
What are your favourite subject(s)?
Like many photographers, I started landscape photography, but also began at the same time with the nude and erotic photography which of course made me great fun, not least because I had the opportunity to take a beautiful girl to photograph. But also because I had really good results right away. Responsible was my infatuation.
Due to the many trips, the street photography became a big part of my photography. And that's really a highly interesting, if not the most interesting area of photography. Unfortunately, this is no longer like earlier. The personality rights are very protected in good reason. However, what many today's photographers does not stop taking photos in a city of foreign people, then for alienating them with a software and then represent this as art.
Since 2010 I live on the wildromantic French Atlantic coast on the Point de Médoc, a beautiful and very inspiring landscape. In this respect, nature photography has a high priority. But I can not say that I like a topic most. I have ideas, I see something and then I realize it.
How do you prepare a creation or project work?
As I said, I have an idea, I see a suitable subject and I decide to photograph it.
What are your prefered moment(s) when you create?
Photograph !! And the moment I realize that some good photos succeeded.
What are you trying to share via your art?
First and foremost, I photograph for myself, not for others. Creativity is a vital elixir that requires neither recognition nor self-promotion. Yet, through my work, I can share with others my perspective on the events, circumstances, and realities of the world and nature—as well as on moments I have witnessed and captured, and on my own visions.
Who are artists that fascinate or give you inspiration?
I am a member of many art platforms and of course I look at the photos and paintings that are posted. One or the other picture gives me incentives. And as already mentioned, I own a large number of art and photo books by various artists. I look at these books again and again, especially on the winter evenings. But what inspires me most is nature.
What equipment and / or technology do you use?
I do not want to and will not advertise a brand here. Between 1986 and 2004 I mainly worked with a mechanical SLR camera. It wasn't that difficult and, above all, completely manual!
When the good films disappeared from the market, I started with the digital cameras with a heavy heart. After an initial “getting to know” with a simple digital camera and an intensive study of digital photography, I then decided on the “Four Thirds System” because it was completely redeveloped for digital photography, i.e. camera and lenses. And that turned out to be a very good decision.
How and why your work as changed since you started?
At the beginning of my photography career, I was very inspired by Sieff and David Hamilton's photography technique. His pictures had soft and beautiful colors, almost poetic. I also used this recording technique. And so I was able to take beautiful photos of girls. I still have a photo of my wife hanging in my living room that I took 30 years ago. In street photography I was inspired by Doisneau, Brassai and Ronis, but then quickly found my own style. Time did not stand still.
In landscape photography I followed Sieff as a model, but that changed quickly here too.
With the advent of digital technology, it was suddenly possible to implement a completely different recording technology.A simple example:
Today it is part of my repertoire to make abstract and moving pictures that are created by the camera and zoom movement. Often 100 images are taken very quickly, one of which can then be used. That was impossible in analog photography, even if you had an unlimited budget. A good film with 36 pictures cost between 10 and 25 euros. You can work out for yourself what came together.
My series Nirvana or “Eveil du Printemps” are fine examples of this. These pictures were all created by the camera and zoom movement. A technique that was almost impossible in analog photography. I was one of the first to create this technique. Today it is often imitated by software manipulation, as these photographers do not have mastered the real technology.For many years, I focused on conceptual photography. But most people don't understand it. Nothing changes! Because of the malice in this world, I now photograph only beautiful things—such as nature—inspired by Impressionism.
Otherwise I have to say that my photography is independent of trends and fashions as well as opinion-forming.
What does the Internet media give you?
I can present and exhibit my work online to a global audience!
A painter creates works on canvas and can therefore easily display them in a physical exhibition; the images have a tangible, physical presence. Photographs, on the other hand, have to be printed. If, for instance, you wanted to exhibit 30 images, production costs would amount to at least 5,000 euros. It simply isn't worth it.
What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
My inner self has always said to myself: do it!
If you couldn't be an artist what would you do?
Invent the art!
What are your plans for the future?
Create until my death.
At the beginning of my photography career, I was very inspired by Sieff and David Hamilton's photography technique. His pictures had soft and beautiful colors, almost poetic. I also used this recording technique. And so I was able to take beautiful photos of girls. I still have a photo of my wife hanging in my living room that I took 30 years ago. In street photography I was inspired by Doisneau, Brassai and Ronis, but then quickly found my own style. Time did not stand still.
In landscape photography I followed Sieff as a model, but that changed quickly here too.
With the advent of digital technology, it was suddenly possible to implement a completely different recording technology.A simple example:
Today it is part of my repertoire to make abstract and moving pictures that are created by the camera and zoom movement. Often 100 images are taken very quickly, one of which can then be used. That was impossible in analog photography, even if you had an unlimited budget. A good film with 36 pictures cost between 10 and 25 euros. You can work out for yourself what came together.
My series Nirvana or “Eveil du Printemps” are fine examples of this. These pictures were all created by the camera and zoom movement. A technique that was almost impossible in analog photography. I was one of the first to create this technique. Today it is often imitated by software manipulation, as these photographers do not have mastered the real technology.For many years, I focused on conceptual photography. But most people don't understand it. Nothing changes! Because of the malice in this world, I now photograph only beautiful things—such as nature—inspired by Impressionism.
Otherwise I have to say that my photography is independent of trends and fashions as well as opinion-forming.
What does the Internet media give you?
I can present and exhibit my work online to a global audience!
A painter creates works on canvas and can therefore easily display them in a physical exhibition; the images have a tangible, physical presence. Photographs, on the other hand, have to be printed. If, for instance, you wanted to exhibit 30 images, production costs would amount to at least 5,000 euros. It simply isn't worth it.
What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
My inner self has always said to myself: do it!
If you couldn't be an artist what would you do?
Invent the art!
What are your plans for the future?
Create until my death.