Free Choice / Conceptual Photography | Nominee

Frank Kunert

Boppard / Germany www.frank-kunert.de

Lifestyle

Concept

At first glance, my photographs possibly don’t seem all that unrealistic. However, a closer look reveals that something in them is clearly not quite right. In fact, the reality they depict is one that cannot exist in this form.
My subjects are miniature scenarios designed and realised in almost countless hours of painstakingly delicate and detailed work in which I ironically exaggerate my own experiences by means of a constructed environment.
At the end of this process, I transform the three-dimensional illusions into photographic images on film with a large format camera. For me, our lifestyle is most clearly manifested in the architecture around us. Architecture is a way of expressing the progress, hopes and visions of the human race – nevertheless, its realisation in our everyday world fails with glorious regularity and brings forth strange fruits.

Titles of the individual works:
Ein Platz an der Sonne (A place in the sun)
Ein-Zimmer-Apartment (One bedroom apartment)
Traumreise (A dream trip)
Unter der Brücke (Under the bridge)
Hoch hinaus (Flying high)

Vita

Born in Frankfurt am Main in 1963, I grew up in the Rhine-Main region, made my first acquaintances with photography in my youth and, at first, was particularly interested in landscape photography.

After leaving school, I decided to begin an apprenticeship in photography and learned to love studio work. I have remained true to this first love until today, and have been concentrating for several years on the design, construction and shooting of scenarios set in miniature worlds.

My work has been frequently published, for example in the magazines SPIEGEL SPEZIAL, chrismon, DU – das Kulturmagazin, DER STANDARD, PHOTONEWS, smith JOURNAL and TGV magazine.

I have so far published two photo books: ‘Verkehrte Welt’ and ‘Wunderland’ (both published by Hatje Cantz Verlag).

Awards (excerpt): Silver medal at the Biennial Dimensional Salon in New York | German Photo Book Prize in silver | Gregor International Calendar Award in silver | Förderpreis Kunst & Museum Hollfeld

Solo exhibitions (excerpt): Landesmuseum Koblenz | Haus der Fotografie - Dr. Robert-Gerlich-Museum, Burghausen | Stadtmuseum Münster | La Chambre, Strasbourg | Freelens Galerie, Hamburg | art + form, Dresden | Museum im Schloss Bad Pyrmont | Leehyun Seoul Gallery, South Korea

Group exhibitions (selection): Weserburg - Museum of Modern Art, Bremen, Germany | Wilhelm Busch Museum - German Museum for Caricature and Critical Graphic Art, Hanover, Germany | Museum of Arts and Design, New York | Galerie f 5,6, Munich | Society of Illustrators, Museum of American Illustration, New York | Literaturmuseum Romantikerhaus, Jena, Germany | STROKE.ARTFAIR, Berlin | Darmstädter Tage der Fotografie, Darmstadt, Germany