Martin Schoeller shoots portraits in a way that makes you view his pictures in a different way. When you see his pictures, you are not just viewing his work. He is also inviting you to be amused, to laugh and to be astonished with what he does. If you go to the CWC Gallery in Mitte, we know you are going to do all of these things at the same time.
Martin Schoeller was born in Munich in the late sixties and became one of the most important and renowned contemporary portrait photographers. He started his career in Berlin at Lette-Verein and was Annie Leibovitz assistant for 4 years until he decided to go solo in 1996. After that, he never stopped.
Martin Schoeller shows Berlin that his portraits are works of art
The exhibition you can see at CWC Gallery in Mitte shows a body of his work that has never been exhibited before. With more than 60 different pieces, Portraits shows how Martin Schoeller approaches portrait photography in his own way.
Christian Bale looks like a blood psycho, Zach Galifianakis with flowers on his beard, Quentin Tarantino dances around with white doves, Martin Schoeller’s work throws away he conventional interpretation of what portrait photography should be. With lots of funny elements and some pieces of dark humor, Martin Schoeller shows celebrities, politicians, famous actors, athletes and musicians such as George Clooney, Robert de Niro, Iggy Pop, Hillary Clinton and Lady Gaga without undermining their persona.
The huge staged scenes masterfully play with the clichés and characteristics of these celebrities. Exposing their normality and approachability with humanity. In this exhibition, you are not just viewing Martin Schoeller’s works. You are there to be amused, to laugh and to be astonished.
This is what he wants you to do it. His approach portrays people as individuals giving direct insight and access into the souls of his subjects. In Close Ups, a highly successful series he released in 2005, Martin Schoeller showed hyper-detailed portraits that challenged our own perception and view of celebrities.
In Portraits, his newest exhibition, Martin Schoeller stages an unique world by juxtaposing iconographic aspects and personal details that shed light on celebrities with a new point of view. This is where fiction and reality create a new imagery and this is why you have to visit CWC Gallery. You are not going to regret it.
Martin Schoeller’s Portraits will be at CWC Gallery in Mitte until the end of february 2015. You can see everything from tuesday to saturday from 11 in the morning until 7 in the evening. CWC Gallery is on Auguststrasse 11-13 in Mitte. And the exhibition is for free.
We have been following Martin Schoeller’s work since 2011 and it was great to finally see it live.
