Aus dem Gruppenbuch der Christiane P. - Der Jahrhundertschritt, 2021

by Matthias Leupold

Photography : color edition, HD print, fine art print

40 x 50 x 0.1 cm 15.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch

$1,018

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About the artwork

Type

Numbered and limited to 7 copies

6 copies available

Signature

Signed artwork

Authenticity

Sold with certificate of Authenticity from the gallery

Invoice from the gallery


Medium

Photography: color edition, HD print, fine art print

Dimensions cm inch

40 x 50 x 0.1 cm 15.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch Height x Width x Depth

Framing

Not framed


Tags

Portrait

Conceptual

Germany

Athletics

Berlin

Staged Photograph

Model

Red

Artwork sold in perfect condition

Artwork location: Germany

Caption: The step of the century, after Wolfgang Mattheuer, 1984

The past is a complex web of memories, realities and stagings. Matthias Leupold, renowned photographer and contemporary witness of the GDR, illuminates a multifaceted panorama of personal experiences and collective memories in his latest photo series "From the group book of Christiane P." His statement on the series not only offers an insight into his motivation, but also a reflection on the power of images and the search for individual and collective freedom.

Leupold's journey through the past begins with a desire to present an "inside view" of the GDR. It is a memory of a time that was both mundane and surreal, marked by political indoctrination and personal resistance. In a world where propaganda and staging were omnipresent, Leupold searches for the hidden nuances of life in the GDR, away from the official narrative.

His photo series delves deep into the experiences of an individual who came into conflict with state power. As an inmate of the notorious Hohenschönhausen prison, Leupold experienced the regime's repression first-hand. But his memories are not limited to these grim moments; they also encompass the subtle forms of resistance that were embedded in everyday life. From compulsory military service to the symbolic gestures of political loyalty, Leupold's work reflects the complexity of life in the GDR.

The series is more than just a personal memory; it is an experiment in visual historiography. Leupold uses image titles and symbolism to capture the atmosphere and ideology of the time. Through scenic staging, the abstract concepts of the past become tangible, and the images become a critical reflection on the mechanisms of power.

But Leupold's conclusion is not one of bitterness or resignation, but of hope and resilience. He remembers the courageous people who rebelled against the regime, whether through political activism or the simple act of individual resistance. Their stories are a testament to the power of human freedom, which can shine even in the darkest of times.

With his statement, Leupold not only closes the gap between past and present, but also opens a dialogue about the importance of memory and the need to understand history in all its facets. His photos are not mere depictions of the past, but living narratives of humanity and resistance that are still relevant today.

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About the seller

PHOTO EDITION BERLIN • Germany

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Matthias Leupold, Aus dem Gruppenbuch der Christiane P. - Der Jahrhundertschritt

Matthias Leupold

Germany  • 1959

Presentation

Matthias Leupold is not a documentary photographer, however "realistic" his pictures may appear. The reality of his pictures is always staged.

Born in East Berlin in 1959, he lived there in the district of Prenzlauer Berg until his emigration to the western part of the city in 1986, where he has been working on pictures since 1983, staged with actors and directed counter worlds to everyday life in East Germany. His research and examination of their norms and conventions led him to look for images of "reality behind reality" and topics that lie outside public and propagated self-assurance.

Matthias Leupold represents a unique figure in the artistic landscape. This is expressed in his contributions to the exhibitions: Art in the GDR, Berlin National Gallery 2003 and Berlin-Moscow/Moscow-Berlin 2004, in Moscow 2004, portraits and scenes 1980-1990 in the Akademie der Künste 2009 and Geschlossene Gesellschaft in the Berlinische Galerie 2012.

When it comes to defining Leupold's work and elaborations, one summarizes in three polar tensions: between statics and dynamics, between contemplation and narration, between comic and symbol. In the pictures, these dimensions and categories do not fall apart but merge partly or completely together.

Matthias Leupold completed his photographic education at the D.E.F.A. studio for feature films in Potsdam-Babelsberg. in the early eighties, he started staging photographs in order to express his interest in both photography and film. At first small exhibitions in East Berlin were tolerated by the GDR government. More extensive exhibitions for example at Bauhaus in Dessau and University of Fine Arts in Dresden were forbidden. In 1986, threats of arrest and condemnation influenced his decision to move from East Berlin to West Berlin. He started studying Visual Communications in 1987 at the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK), completing his degree as a master student. He has traveled to many places, including America and Asia, in order to exhibit his work and to photograph in very diverse places.

Leupold is a member of the German Society for Photography (DGPh) and the German Photographic Academy.


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