Frank Ockenfels 3
Introspection
Ockenfels is constantly searching for that which deviates from the norm, the expected or the obvious. He approaches his subjects with playfulness and spontaneity, using what is present in the moment – whether it be a beam of light, a movement or the playful use of a flashlight.
About the exhibition
Using a variety of different mediums such as photography, painting and collage – and experimenting with light, optics and different types of cameras, Ockenfels is always trying to push the boundaries around photography and art. His sometimes brutal way of distorting his photographs – where he manipulates them with scissors, ink and charcoal, for example – turns his portraits of world-famous actors and musicians into a reflection of Ockenfels’ own inner world. The result is an intimate and often provocative set of images that may even be startling at first, but which carry an inner beauty.
For more than three decades, he has captured world-famous actors, musicians and Hollywood personalities with his camera. He has captured the likes of Nirvana, David Bowie, David Lynch, Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, Natalie Portman, Willie Nelson, No Doubt, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Strokes and many more.
“I was always a big fan of Francis Bacon’s paintings, and much more of Robert Frank’s later work, his collage and how he’d do things with Polaroids. I love photography, and I love where it takes you, but there’s got to be something else here. So, I started researching and looking around. I started going out and seeing more of painting exhibitions, because I felt photography was just becoming a little bit stale and no one knew where to go.”