What initially began with a keen interest in black and white photography and a penchant for dark aesthetics, developed relatively quickly into colorful motifs. In his search for images, Maximilian Heckmann is primarily interested in a certain form of diversity or the combination of different themes and motifs in his works. A good photograph must captivate the viewer in a unique way. A search for clear motifs within the image is not excluded, but is deliberately staged to intensify the relationship between viewer and work. His works are mainly inspired by the aesthetics of the 80s and 90s. These influences also initiated the transition to color photography and increasingly colorful motifs.
The flower series was created at the beginning of the pandemic in the context of an exhibition. On the way to the supermarket the idea manifested itself to pick up all kinds of objects from the street and while shopping and to create new motifs by cleverly combining these everyday objects. This idea evolved further with an ever increasing focus on floral motifs. Always on the lookout for new and suitable objects, new combinations and works were created.
The artistic aspiration that developed in the course of the work was to edit the images as little as possible. The point was to create the strong colors and abstract-looking motifs already during the construction and the process of photographing through clever set design. A wide variety of materials such as fabrics and other things from bulky waste were used to present the everyday objects in a new light through photography. The motif of the flower is still one of the most photographed motifs worldwide. The artistic task was therefore to present the flowers “differently” i.e. by deliberately staged lighting and the combination with other objects to alienate the so often shown motif or to reflect abstractly through the lens of the camera. This artistic exploration of the motif of the flower stems from the need to view the world from a different, new perspective and to constantly recognize new facets of our environment. The series has developed almost “naturally” in connection with this need. This approach of simplification through abstraction reflects the artist’s personal experience that too many different impressions in our modern world can often be overwhelming and distracting, causing us to lose focus.
Maximilian Heckmann lives and works in Mannheim, Germany.
//Exhibtions (selected):
2019 / Solo exhibition, Lauri Cafe, Mannheim
2020 / Group exhibition, Galerie Numa Works, Mannheim
2021 / Group exhibition, Galerie Gutleut Vol.1, Mainz
2021 – 2022 / Solo exhibition, Luni, Mannheim
