The contra project

For an introverted artist, working with people can be draining. In order to recover from the social interaction that comes along with photographing people, there is one important condition I just have to meet: retreating in nature.

Photographing people is like breathing in: it provides me with the oxygen I need to stay alive, but there is no inhaling without exhaling. Surrounding myself with nature is my way to breathe out.

I’ve never used nature as a main focus for a project. But without retreating into nature, I never could have created my work.

For The contra project, by way of experiment, I am visualizing the space I need to exhale, recover, from social interaction.

Strangely enough I find it exciting to wander away from my well-known path. There are already so many artists who use nature as their muse. I feel like I'm just starting out, even though I hope this project will turn out as more than just a photo series. It tells something about my working method. It exposes something personal.

This work is the counterweight that keeps me balanced.