More from Alexander Binder

Pluton/calabi-yau by Alexander Binder. Found via the Exposure Project.

So a few weeks ago I talked to Alexander Binder about the questions I had about his work via facebook, after he read my previous post about his work on the blog. His response to my questions (both stated in the email and on my blog) was very well stated, and I appreciate the chance to have that exchange, especially since it doesn't get to happen very often among artists I don't know personally. I will say that some of my feelings about the work remain the same, but I do think it's important to hear both the motivation behind his work and my critique of it. This video somewhat emphasizes my feelings. Below is the exchange:

ME: So I wrote about your work a week or two ago on my blog, and it reminds me alot of Grant Willing's latest project. I don't think we've ever met, so I'm assuming that's where our connection is. I'd be interested in hearing more about the thought process behind your work. I like the idea of creating your own cameras and consciously using non-state of the art equipment to make work, but I wonder what draws you mysticism and things like the occult? Is it something just stylistic, or is there some sort of symbolism that I'm missing out on?

Anyway, looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
Gregg

ALEXANDER: dear gregg,

first of all: thanks for your reply!

and yes – i read your post about my work on your blog some days ago. to be honest: i really appreciate your critical comments because it takes much more time and thoughts to express this than just saying “cool” or “wow”.

i don’t know if the following leads to a deeper understanding about the thought process behind my works, but maybe it helps you to get a better access to my stuff.

my whole body of work is some kind of modern interpretation of the medieval “memento mori”. like the works of early netherlandish painter hans melmling they shall remind us of our own mortality – and furtheron – motivate us to think about our afterlife and the supernatural powers which maybe influence our life. some of my works do this in a very direct and straightforward way by showing the protagonists of modern evil: creatures inspired by horror movies or black metal subculture. and i understand that some people could think that this is just another example of contemporary gothic chic.

other images are a little bit more complex to decode. for example my whole light works are inspired by gustave doré’s illustration “the fall of lucifer”, which shows the motionless body of archangel lucifer falling down to earth in a mystic ray of light. lucifer comes from the latin lux=light and ferre=to bring. the name is the direct translation of the septuagint greek heosphoros, ("dawn-bearer") and the hebrew helel, ("bright one") – having mythologically the same meaning as prometheus who brought fire to humanity. just to cut a long story short: this symbolism puts an image which shows a beautiful ray of light (that might be at the first sight harmless and just beautiful) in a completely new context: it emblematizes the presence of sheer evil – and on the other side it even poses the question if this hidden evil could be the new good.

as a teenager i devoured the books of aleister crowley and build up “an inner visual library” based on medieval european art by bosch, wolgemut, claesz, bruegel on one side - and 80ies horror movies by hooper, raimi or carpenter on the other side. so much of my work is heavily influenced by the aesthetics and symbols of these art and film genres.

i’d really like to invite you to have a look at my website and blog at:

www.alexanderbinder.de
http://alexanderbinder.blogspot.com

thanks again for your feedback.

all the best from the black forest,
alex

On Lens flares, black metal, and a greater importance.

The bottom three images are from Grant Willing's Svart Metal project, the top two are Alexander Binder (found via Fjord).

I have become totally sick of photography that deals with "mysticism and the occult" in really silly, surface ways. Photographing lens flares in the woods or prisms or black and white images of cult black metal figures doesn't make me think about, well... anything. I mean, I like Black Sabbath and all, but making work that looks like it's sole intent is to mimic the covers of black metal records or horror movies seems really hollow. For me, there needs to be something beyond surface tensions in an image or cool references to pull me into a project. With both of these projects I guess I just don't see the greater significance. Grant Willing is thinking about the mythology behind black metal and nordic landscapes. So what? What does that mean to me? There doesn't seem to be anything that is critiquing that mythology or the desire to create these myths, just a desire to join in their creation. It seems that these projects bank on the coolness of they're subjects, far more than they're creators ability to reveal anything to their audience about the subject. I mean, if the role of the artist is "revealing mystic truths" (thanks Bruce Nauman), than what is it that I am supposed to discover here?

Clearly, there are exceptions here. Adam Ekberg makes some amazing work that involves creating photographic effects like lens flares, etc, as does Melanie Schiff (whom I've mentioned before here). But both of those photographers are involved in the way we experience photographs, and the performative elements of the photographic process. They make obvious conceptual work, but they are grounded in the world of everyday in a way that elevates simple technique and the banalities of making pictures. They both make work which attempts to create a connection with the viewer to an overtly conceptual practice in a way tht neither Willing or Binder seem to be doing. They are not simply interested in making work that functions in an obscure manner, tailor made for the pages of Vice magazine and guaranteed to receive praise from the magazines and institutions already interested in the same.