Berlin-based Designer Bartholot
As we prepare to bring you all the news from OFFF Barcelona in Spain, we caught up with one of our festival favourites – Berlin-based designer Bartholot.
Focusing on the concept of photographic illustration, Bartholot creates work that comes from a place where art intersects with design. His clients include Sony and UNICEF, for which he generates avant-garde concepts that push boundaries and challenge the viewer to see things differently.
What emerges from Batholot’s work is a consistent style of vibrancy and confidence. This is not a conscious choice, but something that arises from his strong personal vision. As he put it “just seems to happen.”
Taking notes from fashion and art history, his images elicit a sense of the absurd. We wanted to know more.
(f) What role does the visual language of fashion play in your work?
(RB) The visual language of fashion is one of my reference points, I often think in a fashion editorial way when working on a series of images. However, many times there is no fashion involved. As the subjects I shoot are strongly sculptural, I use fashion or clothes as costumes or disguises, to give it another context or to break it’s meaning.
(f) Is there an intentional connection between your photographs and the visual style seen in the still life paintings from the Renaissance era?
(RB) Definitely, there is a deep connection to art from the past, not only to the Renaissance era. Especially when it comes to poses. I prefer classic, quiet and frozen moments. Beside that, I am definitely inspired the colours and the look of paintings of past times, this may be due to my background in art history.
(f) How does your personal work allow you to develop?
(RB) My personal work is the engine of the whole thing. It allows me to experiment and explore with the permission to fail. It lets me work the way I enjoy the most: spontaneously and with good company, exploring different materials and its appearance when photographed.
(f) What is your view on the connection between advertising and art?
(RB) There is artistic advertising around and at the same time you can find very commercial art. However, sometimes art offers more possibilities when it doesn’t depend on a market. The difference reveals always in the intention behind.
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Bartholot will speak at OFFF Barcelona 2014, which takes place from Thursday 15 – Saturday 17 May. This post forms part of fluoro’s coverage of OFFF.
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