Sonja Braas was born in Siegen, Germany in 1968. Braas graduated from the University of Dortmund in 1997, receiving a degree in visual communication and photography. While attending the University of Dortmund, Braas received the Fullbright Grant in 1995, which allowed Braas to study photography abroad at the School of Visual Arts in New York. Braas has received many awards over the years including the Kodak prize for Young Artists, the Focus prize, the Otto Steiner Prize and more. In addition, Braas has her work published in many publications Braas’ most well known publication is, “Forces.” Braas currently lives and works in New York as well as Germany.
At a first glance Sonja Braas’ images appear to be beautiful, perfect photographs of natural catastrophes. As one examines Braas’ work it becomes relevant that the majority of these images would be very difficult to take in the suggested conditions. How does Sonja get so close to photograph that volcano? Sonja Braas in fact constructs extraordinary models of natural catastrophes and then photographs them. Braas in her series, “You Are Here,” consists of photographs of both natural and artificial landscapes. Braas would photograph zoological gardens (man made gardens) and real (natural) landscapes and merge the two photographs together making it hard for the viewer to tell what is natural and what is not. The photographs from this series, “You Are Here” appear very surreal due to this process. Braas tries to show with her work that no nature is independent of subjective perception (Sonja). Sonja stated in relation to her work, “We actually only encounter exotic landscapes at the zoo or at botanical gardens.” (Sonja)
Tom introduced me to Sonja Braas’ work and like most of Braas’ viewers I did not realize her photographs were of models she created. Sonja Braas’ work attracts me because of its obscurity and diligence. “Sonja Braas offers us photographs of models of volcanoes and tornados that she herself constructed with extraordinary precision as a basis for ideal and perfect images that simulate natural events.” (Manipulating Reality) Generally, I am attracted to how subtle Braas work is and its realistic impression.
Interview: I could not find an interview with Sonja Braas
- I could only find one quote by Sonja Braas (I included a quote regarding Sonja’s work)
Most Recent Gallery Exhibition: Gallery Claude & Fabian Walter, in Zurich Switzerland, in 2009.
Forces, #01, 2002 Sonja Braas
67" x 59" C- Print
The Quiet of Dissolution, Tornado, 2005, Sonja Braas
73" x 55" C-Print
The Quiet of Dissolution, Storm, 2006, Sonja Braas
73" x 59" C-Print
You Are Here, #18, Sonja Braas
38" x 30" C-Print
You Are Here, #30, Sonja Braas
38" x 30" C-Print
Works Cited
Manipulating Reality. Strozzina. 12 November 2010. 17 January 2010?. <http://www.strozzina.org/manipulatingreality/e_braas.php#content>.
Sonja Braas. Deutsche Borse Group. 12 November 2010. <http://deutsche-boerse.com/dbag/dispatch/en/kir/gdb_navigation/about_us/30_Art_Collection/40_artists/11_braas>.
No comments:
Post a Comment