Joachim Schmeisser
Joachim Schmeisser is best known for his major photographic series, which he did in East Africa – his iconic portraits of Elephants – especially the Orphan Elephants at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya. He started this project in 2009 during a stopover on a trip to the mountain gorillas in Rwanda and the Hadzabe in Tanzania. Everything changed once he found himself surrounded by these baby elephants and his short travel break turned into a wonderful friendship and terrific project. It is still ongoing even today and has become a matter close to his heart. In 2012, Schmeisser won the prestigious Hasselblad Award for this work. In 2017, his book Elephants in Heaven was launched by the German Publisher TeNeues and sold out within 4 months. He feels like this work for him is an unprecedented example of the perfect balance between creating an icon and working with an icon. Art Editor Fridey Mickel of the TAZ Berlin about his work and Matthias Harder, Chief curator of the Helmut Newton Foundation Berlin speaks in his foreword about him as a man of conviction with an ecological, visual approach. He gives something back to the land and ultimately infects us with his enthusiasm for the elephants. He intends to show the beauty and uniqueness of our planet and to increase sensitivity for a topic that concerns us all. He sees the photos of the elephants as portraits of individuals, who are our equals – far removed from spectacular wildlife photography. What interests him is what lies beneath the surface, out of sight, the quiet yet intense encounters. He would like everyone to see the images as a window into a fascinating world, where everything is connected to everything else. Protecting this nature is our most important mission.
Styles |
Materials |
Related Artists |
2010s Contemporary Joachim Schmeisser
Archival Pigment
2010s Joachim Schmeisser
Platinum
2010s Contemporary Joachim Schmeisser
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Joachim Schmeisser
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Joachim Schmeisser
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Joachim Schmeisser
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Joachim Schmeisser
Archival Pigment
2010s Contemporary Joachim Schmeisser
Archival Pigment