Jessica Backhaus (Germany). About Intuition and Visual Poetry

“As a photographer I find it necessary to challenge myself and to explore unknown fields. Taking photographs can be lonesome, but somehow I enjoy this loneliness, because it allows me to feel, to see and it brings me fulfillment.” Jessica Backhaus

Forgotten objects, peeling wallpaper in an old house, sunlight filtering through the branches of a tree, old telephone books blowing in the wind, a paperweight that is bathing in the sunlight and the details of an intimacy that only an eye well-trained in ‘knowing how to look’ can transform into images. In the past years Jessica Backhaus has continually captivated viewers with the ingenious inventions she displays in her artistic, narrative photographs, presented both as individual images and as series. A distinctive feature of her work to date has been a fascinating interplay between the depiction of reality and enigmatic abstraction.

Form, light and colour describe in an incisive and totally natural manner the visual story of Jessica Backhaus, and it is through these elements that three days of work with the prolific German artist will lead students to reconsider the potential that lies in simple things. Backhaus’ work is the result of a perfect balance between poetic inspiration and great precision.

Controlling an image, producing a photography book, the meticulous care in preparing an exhibition and developing a small project are all aspects that will be covered during the workshop. One part of the workshop will also be dedicated to a presentation of her own inspirations that are vivid and vital in her artistic life. The group will ensure a lively exchange with the teacher.

Jessica Backhaus was born in Cuxhaven, Germany in 1970 and grew up in an artistic family. At the age of sixteen, she moved to Paris, where she later studied Photography and Visual Communications from 1989 to 1992. In 1995, her passion for photography drew her to New York, where she assisted photographers, pursued her own projects and lived until 2009.

Jessica Backhaus is regarded as one of the most distinguished voices in contemporary photography in Germany today. Her work has been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including the National Portrait Gallery, London, the Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin, MARTa Herford, Herford and the Kunsthalle Erfurt, Erfurt. To date, she has ten publications to her name and is represented by various galleries in Europe and in the USA.