Alexander Platz
Visual artist – photographer – author

Life…

Every attempt to preserve the moment – to keep the memory tangible – is bound to fail, since it cannot be “grasped”. Everything dissipates.

In their desire to hold onto reality, people take pictures and save them.

Yet still, the pictures fail to preserve it, or perhaps even to depict it.

Rather, they are a “record” of what I saw in that moment.

And I react to these images with my thoughts and emotions; I draw conclusions and evolve.

“The art of living” was discussed from different perspectives even in antiquity, by scholars and philosophers.

But is life in itself actually art?

Artists pursue their ideas, imaginings, passions and conflicts, and manifest their – constantly developing – convictions and insights. They seek to exchange ideas and engage in conversation. Their personality, coupled with the choice of subject or medium, culminates in a work of art.

When I turned to photography in 2004, I had the almost narcissistic idea of becoming and being an artist. Did I know what an artist actually is, or did I just have a vague idea of a cliché?

One thing was sure: in the year 2000, I lived through a life-changing experience. Disoriented and with my identity diminished, I lived my life.

When I took my first photo in 2004, the camera became my paintbrush/pencil with which I chronicled my life. I positioned the camera between myself and reality in order to examine it, to find answers about myself and to share my view with the world.

Although I was not yet able to clearly articulate it, I elevated my lifestyle to art, which manifested itself in my photographs.

At the core of my interest lies the person and the person’s individuality.

Whether portrait, fashion, nude or dance photography, or press and street photography – the central element was and always is the same: the human being.

I have delved deeply into each of these genres. But I won’t allow myself to be labelled. I pursue only the things that fascinate me and suit my approach.

In the meantime, a political element has entered the scene.

It seems as though no one really examines, questions, reflects and takes time to “assess” anymore. Instead, they “judge”.

This makes it seem even more important for me to “live out” and manifest my view of the world through art.

My photographs are therefore not just pictures, they are the result and work of my artistic reflections and activity.

I live my life as “Ready Life”, which means that my life is inseparable from my artistic work and development.

“Ready Life”?

Perhaps the founders of Dada and Surrealism, such as Breton, Duchamp, Man Ray, Max Ernst, Meret Oppenheim and Tristan Tzara, would now raise a mocking and critical eyebrow at this term.

But I would respond by asking:
“Aren’t we all a little bit Dada?”

Kind regards
Alexander Platz