»Souvenir of Germany« – An artists book

Fig. 1: Rauschkolb 2021. Book cover »Souvenir of Germany«

Perhaps the central part of my Final Major Project Submission is the artists book. It is protected by a case covered in »Tar paper«, a mid-layer in construction work with a cast-iron appearance. This fits because guns are made of them. It will get patina over time, corresponding to the buildings. The initial use as a layer in building floors connects to the images metaphorically because they consist of layers and show the layers of history.

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Fig. 2 – 4: Rauschkolb 2021. Case with book and folders

The book containing my portfolio is screw-bound, like old photo albums. It is bound in grey linen, showing one image and embossed text on the front. The reduced design contrasts with the colourful pictures inside.

To present some images bigger and show additional content, a few pages are laid out in a broader format as fold-outs. A side effect of this is that a third intermediate image appears until the page unfolds.

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Fig. 5 – 8: Rauschkolb 2021. Fold-out pages from »Souvenir of Germany«

The Pop-ups

Crucial for the FMP was the expansion into the third dimension. One of these are the pop-ups that accompany the book. Each of them sits in a folder with the same cover design as the book.

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Fig. 9 – 11: Rauschkolb 2021. Pop-up folders, closed and opened

At this time, everything is handmade in cooperation with a bookbinder (Pohl & Rau, Darmstadt – Thank you for the good work!). A version in a larger, less elaborate way of production is possible and will follow.

Fig. 12: Rauschkolb 2021. Presentation of »Souvenir of Germany«

Figures:

Figures 1 – 11: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Views of the artists book »Souvenir of Germany«.

Figure 12: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Presentation of »Souvenir of Germany«. Available at: https://vimeo.com/589561016

»It never really stops« – Gareth Phillips

Fig. 1: Phillips 2021. NH5 – First Edition – Wales, UK.

I came across this photographer through my supervisor Laura Hynd – thank you for the tip! She recommended him because of his way of exhibiting his work, in this case,»NH5« at CULTVR gallery in Wales. The subject, the old Hindustan Tibetan road (Phillips 1, 2021) in the Himalayas, interested me, and I was overwhelmed by this installation view. Big prints, standing in the room, more a walk-through sculpture than a traditional photography exhibition. 

Luckily, Gareth gave a guest lecture at Falmouth University a day later (Phillips 2, 2021). He showed us several book dummies and explained his philosophy, which for me, culminated in the phrase »a photobook as an installation, a book you could walk into« (Phillips 2, 2021). A fantastic idea in my eyes. The narrative structure of the book and exhibition is the same; his approach is to search for »the outer fringes of interpretation and how he can use the photobook« (Phillips in Carroll 2020). All this is not an end in itself; he is »interested in delivering more narrative and more of an experience with the book« (Phillips 2, 2021). Also, his interest is in »manipulating the material and the image itself« (Phillips in Carroll 2020), as he states in an interview with Offline Journal. 

He sees his works always as a version and re-edits them. »They [the projects] never have to be resolved« (Phillips in Carroll 2020). One project and its re-editing inform another book he is working on simultaneously, and with this, »it never really stops« (Phillips in Carroll 2020).

All this is very inspirational to me and my project. Actually, I am finishing my Final Major Project submission, and this thought of a book you could walk through will not let me go. It is exciting to transfer the book into a walk-in sculpture to make people interested in history. But also in my book, I test ways of telling the stories of my neighbourhood in different ways.

In the end, it will be »a version«, as Gareth says, and over time it will evolve or perhaps change in some ways.

Figure:

Figure 1: PHILLIPS, Gareth. 2021. NH5 – First Edition – Wales, UK. [online]. Available at: http://www.garethphillipsphotography.com/NH5-First-Edition-Wales-UK [accessed 21 Jun 2021].

Resources:

PHILLIPS, Gareth. 2021. ‘NH5 – First Edition – Wales, UK – Garethphillips’. [online]. Available at: http://www.garethphillipsphotography.com/NH5-First-Edition-Wales-UK [accessed 21 Jun 2021].

PHILLIPS, Gareth. 2021. ‘Gareths Phillips Guest Lecture for Falmouth’. [online, own notes]. Available at: https://web.microsoftstream.com/embed/video/a2575d95-594c-4bf1-8547-d921007b3912?autoplay=false&showinfo=true&forceServerAuth=true [accessed 23 Jul 2021].

CARROLL, Brian. 2020. ‘#17 – Offline Journal Newsletter’ [Substack newsletter, own notes]. Offline Journal Newsletter [online]. Available at: https://offlinejournal.substack.com/p/17-offline-journal-newsletter [accessed 8 Aug 2021].

Exhibition Ideas: Life-size Pop-Ups

Fig. 1: Gasoline Station 2015. Pop Up (Eckbank).

One of the tasks in my Final Major Project is to plan and execute an exhibition. At this time, I am producing several image grids and photographic objects.

What made me think was the way of presenting the pop-ups. The simplest, not the worst, method is to show them on a table and let visitors interact. But I also thought there could be more thinking of Gareth Phillips and his idea of an exhibition that is »a book you can walk through« (Phillips 2021). My idea was to enlarge the pop-ups. By accident, I stumbled across Austrian artists Liddy Scheffknecht and Armin B. Wagner, who exactly did this in their two works »Eckbank« and »bureau«. Here, they built gigantic pop-up cards made of cardboard containing life-size furniture (Kurze 2015). I couldn’t find much background information about it, but it makes me think of adding one or two pop-ups in a big size to the upcoming exhibition.

Fig. 2: Gasoline Station 2015. Pop Up (Eckbank).

Fig. 3: Gasoline Station 2015. Pop Up (bureau).

Fig. 4: Gasoline Station 2015. Pop Up (bureau).

Fig. 5: Rauschkolb 2021. Sketch: Life-size pop-up

List of Figures:

Figure 1: Gasoline Station. 2015. Pop Up (Eckbank).  Available at: https://www.ignant.com/2015/03/02/pop-up-furniture-by-liddy-scheffknecht/ [accessed 8 Aug 2021].

Figure 2: Gasoline Station. 2015. Pop Up (Eckbank). Available at: https://www.ignant.com/2015/03/02/pop-up-furniture-by-liddy-scheffknecht/ [accessed 8 Aug 2021].

Figure 3: Gasoline Station. 2015. Pop Up (bureau). Available at: https://www.ignant.com/2015/03/02/pop-up-furniture-by-liddy-scheffknecht/ [accessed 8 Aug 2021].

Figure 4: Gasoline Station. 2015. Pop Up (bureau). Available at: https://www.ignant.com/2015/03/02/pop-up-furniture-by-liddy-scheffknecht/ [accessed 8 Aug 2021].

Figure 5: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Sketch: Life-size pop-up in front of the former officer’s mess, Lilienthalstrasse.

References:

PHILLIPS, Gareth. 2021. ‘Gareths Phillips Guest Lecture for Falmouth’. [own notes, online]. Available at: https://web.microsoftstream.com/embed/video/a2575d95-594c-4bf1-8547-d921007b3912?autoplay=false&showinfo=true&forceServerAuth=true [accessed 23 Jul 2021].

KURZE, Caroline. 2015. ‘Pop Up Furniture by Liddy Scheffknecht’. IGNANT [online]. Available at: https://www.ignant.com/2015/03/02/pop-up-furniture-by-liddy-scheffknecht/ [accessed 8 Aug 2021].

MUFSON, Beckett. 2021. ‘Cardboard Furniture Unfolds Like a Pop-Up Book’. [online]. Available at: https://www.vice.com/en/article/qkwjvm/cardboard-furniture-unfolds-like-a-pop-up-book [accessed 8 Aug 2021].

WAGNER, Armin B. and Liddy SCHEFFKNECHT. n.d. Pop Up (Eckbank) [Film]. Available at: https://vimeo.com/56975259 [accessed 8 Aug 2021].

WAGNER, Armin B. and Liddy SCHEFFKNECHT. n.d. Pop Up (bureau) [Film]. Available at: https://vimeo.com/4197108 [accessed 8 Aug 2021].

Critical Review of Practice

I submitted my »Critical Review of Practice« on 29. July 2021. The slideshow below shows the document, the list of figures and the references are listed below.

There were two appendices in the original file that are not included in this post: Professor Steve Bisson’s review of »Greetings from the Parade Ground« and Gudrun Hausl’s article that was published in the »Darmstädter Echo«.

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List of Figures:

Figure 1: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Bunker camouflage.

Figure 2: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Former Officers Mess, Lilienthalstrasse.

Figure 3: Unknown maker. Stamped 1905. Kurgäste zur Entfettungskur a.d. Griesheimer Sand [postcard, own collection].

Figure 4: Unknown maker. 1929. Stube 144, Infanterie Regiment Nr. 151e, 3. Kompanie, 25. August 1929. [img621] Sammlung Peter Merschroth [online image]. Available at:
http://www.sammlung-merschroth.de/Griesheim_Sand/Franzosenzeit/franzosenzeit.html [accessed 4 Dec 2020]

Figure 5: Unknown maker. 1964. Nike display Griesheim. Archive of the »Förderverein August-Euler-Museum e.V.«

Figure 6: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Map of the site’s location. [Bing Maps screenshot, map of Germany from TIBELIUS, Alexander. 2014. The Map Design Toolbox. Berlin: Gestalten., drawing]

Figure 7: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2020. »The Parade Ground«. From the portfolio ‘Greetings from the Parade Ground (Grüsse Vom Übungsplatz)’ [online]. Available at: https://www.marcelrauschkolb.de/greetingsfromtheparadeground [accessed 28 Jan 2021].

Figure 8: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2020. Religion as a vital part of the settlement. From the portfolio ‘The Paprika Village (Das Paprikadorf)’ [online]. Available at: https://www.marcelrauschkolb.de/thepaprikavillage [accessed 11 Feb 2021].

Figure 9: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2020. »Missiles and Mythology«. From the portfolio ‘Greetings from the Parade Ground (Grüsse Vom Übungsplatz)’ [online]. Available at: https://www.marcelrauschkolb.de/greetingsfromtheparadeground [accessed 28 Jan 2021].

Figure 10: Stadt Griesheim. 2016. ‘Konversionsfläche „Süd-Ost“: Griesheim’. [Post-use concept »Conversion Southeast«] [online]. Available at:
https://www.griesheim.de/wohnen-umwelt/konversionsflaeche-sued-ost/ [accessed 10 Feb 2021].

Figure 11: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Inside the »August-Euler-Museum«.

Figure 12: Unknown maker. No Date. Camillo’s theatre. Stanford Visual Arts Services interpretation [online]. Available at: http://socks-studio.com/2019/03/03/spatializing-knowledge-giulio-camillos-theatre-of-memory-1519-1544/ [accessed 15 Nov 2020].

Figure 13: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. »Hitlerjugend«.

Figure 14: Unkown maker. 1946. My father in Mulsanne [photographic print, own collection].

Figure 15: Unknown maker. 1941. ‘My father’s statement’. Front und Heimat Mitteilungsblatt der NSDAP Ortsgruppe Griesheim Kreis Darmstadt, 11 Oct. The text reads:

»Sailor-Lance Corporal Rauschkolb, Willy, Alte Darmstädterstr. 24

… We have been sailing as a front unit for almost three weeks now and have already been allowed to carry out three decisive actions. For example, we were used as a fire protection for the brave assault boats during the storming of Oesel and Moon. … Most of the Soviet sailors resisted their rescue tooth and nail and were then quite astonished when we did not burn out their eyes and cut off their tongues …« [Own, Deepl.com translation]

Figure 16: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. The »Souvenir of Germany« photo album [own collection].

Figure 17: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2020. The change of a street (Nehringstrasse). From the portfolio ‘The Paprika Village (Das Paprikadorf)’ [online]. Available at: https://www.marcelrauschkolb.de/thepaprikavillage [accessed 11 Feb 2021].

Figure 18: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2020. »Hessenflieger« und »Darmstadt Flying-Club«. From the portfolio ‘Greetings from the Parade Ground (Grüsse Vom Übungsplatz)’ [online]. Available at: https://www.marcelrauschkolb.de/greetingsfromtheparadeground [accessed 28 Jan 2021].

Figure 19: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. The former Nike-missile launch site (1964) [montage].

Figure 20: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. The former Nike-missile launch site (today) [image grid].

Figure 21, 22: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Cardboard dummies for a photographic sculpture and a grid.

Figure 23: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Physical grid [oak wood, photo paper].

Figure 24, 25: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Pop-up object »Pre-WW1 soldiers«.

Figure 26: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Pop-up object »Stars and Stripes-Compound«.

Figure 27: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Newspaper cut-outs from the »Griesheimer Anzeiger« and the »Stars and Stripes«.

Figure 28: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Uncut View-Master slides.

Figure 29: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. View-Master camera.

Figure 30: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Argus C3 camera.

Figure 31: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Print from an Argus C3 negative.

Figure 32: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Distorted building on the former missile launch site.

Figure 33: Unknown maker. 2006. Wall painting in an abandoned military building. Archive of the »Förderverein August-Euler-Museum e.V.«

Figure 34: Tobias WOOTTON. 2016. View of the exhibition »Aby Warburg. Mnemosyne Bilderatlas« at ZKM | Center for Art and Media, Karlsruhe. Available at: https://zkm.de/de/event/2016/09/aby-warburg-mnemosyne-bilderatlas/der-mnemosyne-bilderatlas [accessed 13 Nov 2020].

Figure 35: Mark KLETT. 2002. Four views from four times and one shoreline, Lake Tenaya. [online image]. Available at: http://www.markklettphotography.com/yosemite-in-time [accessed 27 Jul 2020].

Figure 36: Andrea BOTTO. 2014. ‘19.06_26.08.1945’. Andrea Botto Photography [online]. Available at: https://www.andreabotto.it/19-06_26-08-1945/ [accessed 29 Oct 2020].

Figure 37: Andrea BOTTO. 2015. ‘19.06_26-08.1945 Limited Edition Prints’. Andrea Botto Photography [online]. Available at: https://www.andreabotto.it/en/prodotto/19-06_26-08-1945-limited-edition-prints/ [accessed 11 Feb 2021].

Figure 38: Aikaterini GEGISIAN. 2020. ‘The Sea Blues (2016)’. Aikaterini Gegisian [online]. Available at: https://gegisian.com/portfolio/the-sea-blues/ [accessed 8 Nov 2020].

Figure 39: Gareth PHILLIPS. 2021. NH5 – First Edition – Wales, UK. [online]. Available at: http://www.garethphillipsphotography.com/NH5-First-Edition-Wales-UK [accessed 21 Jun 2021].

Figure 40: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Folder, box and book layouts.

Figure 41: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Map of the »Walk through history« [Bing Maps screenshot and drawing].

Figure 42, 43, 44: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Layouts for the outdoor exhibition.

Figure 45: HAUSL, Gudrun. 2021. ‘Es gilt die Details der Welt zu dokumentieren’. Darmstädter Echo : die unabhängige politische Tageszeitung Südhessens, 6 Jul, 18.

References:

Earlier portfolios about the site this mentioned in the text:

RAUSCHKOLB, Marcel. 2021. ‘The Paprika Village (Das Paprikadorf)’. Marcel Rauschkolb Photography [online]. Available at: https://www.marcelrauschkolb.de/thepaprikavillage [accessed 28 Jan 2021].

RAUSCHKOLB, Marcel. 2021. ‘Greetings from the Parade Ground (Grüsse Vom Übungsplatz)’. Marcel Rauschkolb Photography [online]. Available at: https://www.marcelrauschkolb.de/greetingsfromtheparadeground [accessed 28 Jan 2021].

Other references:

BENJAMIN, Walter. 2011. Gesammelte Werke. (Translated with http://www.DeepL.com) Frankfurt a. M: Zweitausendeins. 

GROMES, Gustl. 1989. St. Stephan von A bis Z. (my translation) Griesheim: V. Bassenauer Gmbh. 

ECKSTEIN, Ursula. 2008. Ecksteins Luftfahrtgeschichte Darmstadt. Darmstadt: Justus von Liebig Verlag.

KALTENECKER, Krisztina. 2003. ‘Über Die Entstehung Der Ungarndeutschen Siedlung Sankt Stephan Bei Darmstadt. Eine Kommentierte Quellenausgabe’. In: Dr. Schwing, Josef (Red.): Suevia Pannonica. Archiv der Deutschen aus Ungarn. Jahrgang 21 (31) 2003. Chroma Verlag. Römerberg-Berghausen. S. 37-47 [online]. Available at: https://www.academia.edu/38970162/%C3%9Cber_die_Entstehung_der_ungarndeutschen_Siedlung_Sankt_Stephan_bei_Darmstadt._Eine_kommentierte_Quellenausgabe [accessed 4 Jul 2020].

BISSON, Steve. 2021. ‘LANDSCAPE OF REMEMBRANCE. WHAT FOR?’ Urbanautica [online]. Available at: https://urbanautica.com/review/landscape-of-remembrance-what-forij/2348 [accessed 31 Mar 2021].

CRITCHLEY, Simon. 2015. Memory Theater. New York: Other Press.

CROSS, Karen and Julia PECK. 2010. ‘Editorial: Special Issue on Photography, Archive and Memory’. photographies 3(2), 127–38.

FABRIZI, Mariabruna. 2019. ‘Spatializing Knowledge: Giulio Camillo’s Theatre of Memory (1519-1544) – SOCKS’. [online]. Available at: http://socks-studio.com/2019/03/03/spatializing-knowledge-giulio-camillos-theatre-of-memory-1519-1544/ [accessed 15 Nov 2020].

CAMMANN, Alexander. 2007. ‘Familienchronik: Der Epochenpanoramiker’. Die Tageszeitung: taz, 19 May [online]. Available at: https://taz.de/!5199675/ [accessed 21 Jul 2021].

HIRSCH, Marianne. 2008. ‘The Generation of Postmemory’. Poetics Today 29(1), 103–28.

‘Woher Kommt Souvenir | Wortherkunft von Souvenir | Wissen.De’. 2021. [online]. Available at: https://www.wissen.de/wortherkunft/souvenir [accessed 20 Jul 2021].

‘Duden | Andenken | Rechtschreibung, Bedeutung, Definition, Herkunft’. 2021. Duden [online]. Available at: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Andenken [accessed 20 Jul 2021].

‘theatre’. 2021. [online]. Available at: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/de/worterbuch/englisch/theatre [accessed 20 Jul 2021].

FAMULLA, Ute, Kai-Uwe HEMKEN, Christoph SCHADEN and Kris SCHOLZ. 2019. Bauhaus Und Die Fotografie: Zum Neuen Sehen in Der Gegenwartskunst = Bauhaus and Photography ; New Vision in Contemporary Art. Edited by Corina Gertz. Bielefeld: Kerber Verlag.

PERKINS, Chris. 2009. ‘Thinking about Maps’ 25.

Joseph Beuys – ‘Dank an Wilhelm Lehmbruck’ (Letzte Rede) [Film]. 2013. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNqgNz8biM8 [accessed 1 Sep 2020].

HKW – HAUS DER KULTUREN DER WELT. 2020. Befragung des Atlas – Episode 1 [Film]. Berlin. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZuYJhWDBoU [accessed 21 Nov 2020].

SCAFI, Alessandro. 2020. ‘Mapping Worlds: Medieval to Modern’ [Short Course, own notes]. Available at: https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/events/event/23596.

MARGOLIS, Eric and L PAUWELS. 2011. The SAGE Handbook of Visual Research Methods. Los Angeles: SAGE.

BOTTO, Andrea. 2020. ‘19.06_26.08.1945’. Andrea Botto Photography [online]. Available at: https://www.andreabotto.it/19-06_26-08-1945/ [accessed 29 Oct 2020].

ZHENGOVÁ, Linda. 2020. ‘AIKATERINI GEGISIAN: Handbook of the Spontaneous Other’. GUP Magazine [online]. Available at: https://gupmagazine.com/books/aikaterini-gegisian-handbook-of-the-spontaneous-other-2/ [accessed 23 Jul 2021].

GEGISIAN, Aikaterini. 2020. ‘The Sea Blues (2016)’. Aikaterini Gegisian [online]. Available at: https://gegisian.com/portfolio/the-sea-blues/ [accessed 8 Nov 2020].

PHILLIPS, Gareth. 2021. ‘Gareths Phillips Guest Lecture for Falmouth’. [online, own notes]. Available at: https://web.microsoftstream.com/embed/video/a2575d95-594c-4bf1-8547-d921007b3912?autoplay=false&showinfo=true&forceServerAuth=true [accessed 23 Jul 2021].

Final Major Project: Seventh 1:2:1

Fig. 1: Rauschkolb 2021. »Yanks Gain 27 Miles East of Rhine«, 24. March 1945

On Tuesday, 27. July, I had my last meeting with Laura. The primary subject was the »Critical Review of Practice«, which I submitted on the following Thursday and the final portfolios appearance. A helpful hint from Laura was to show some outdoor exhibition layouts in the CRoP and thinking of the use of audio and accompanying events. I mentioned that I have access to a professional speaker to produce short clips that can be accessed through a QR-code.

Fig. 2: Rauschkolb 2021. Outdoor layout

I will use newspaper cutouts in the portfolio and exhibition. In this context, Laura’s advice was that images and text have to be edited differently for different outcomes. Regarding the newspapers, I suggest using the text-only in the book and website, while they could be shown in a big size as reproductions in an exhibition.

Fig. 3: Rauschkolb 2020. Newspaper cut-outs

We talked about the use of text in the portfolio. Laura recommended a brief synopsis to introduce into the work, but then letting the images speak for themselves as much as possible. She also mentioned that I can link to well-made videos showing the book and the function of the pop-ups. In sum, the portfolio has to showcase the project, where the main thing is the work, supplemented by the outcomes.

List of Figures:

Figure 1: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. »Yanks Gain 27 Miles East of Rhine«, 24. March 1945.

Figure 2: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Layout for the outdoor exhibition.

Figure 3: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Newspaper cut-outs from the »Griesheimer Anzeiger« and the »Stars and Stripes«.

»The details of the world need to be documented«

Reproduction of the article published in the »Darmstädter Echo«

»Darmstädter Echo«-editor Gudrun Hausl visited me in mid-June for an interview about my work and the studies at Falmouth University. The newspaper published her well-written article on 06. July.

We talked about the advantages of studying online, my biography and people who influenced my actual work like Mark Klett, Andrea Botto or Thomas Hauser. Last but not least, I gave an overview of the portfolios related to my neighbourhood.

Figure:

HAUSL, Gudrun. 2021. ‘Es gilt die Details der Welt zu dokumentieren’ [The details of the world need to be documented (My translation)]. Darmstädter Echo : die unabhängige politische Tageszeitung Südhessens, 6 Jul, 18.

Resource:

HAUSL, Gudrun. 2021. ‘Griesheims St. Stephan, durch die Linse dokumentiert’. Echo Online [online version of the article shown in the picture]. Available at: https://www.echo-online.de/lokales/darmstadt-dieburg/kreis-darmstadt-dieburg/griesheims-st-stephan-durch-die-linse-dokumentiert_24062408 [accessed 16 Jul 2021].

FMP presentation at Falmouth’s F-2-F event

Together with five other peers, I had the chance to talk about the evolution and intent of my Final Major Project at July’s F-2-F event at Falmouth University.

Resources:

RAUSCHKOLB, Marcel. 2021. ‘The Paprika Village (Das Paprikadorf)’. Marcel Rauschkolb Photography [online]. Available at: https://www.marcelrauschkolb.de/thepaprikavillage [accessed 28 Jan 2021].

RAUSCHKOLB, Marcel. 2021. ‘Greetings from the Parade Ground (Grüsse Vom Übungsplatz)’. Marcel Rauschkolb Photography [online]. Available at: https://www.marcelrauschkolb.de/greetingsfromtheparadeground [accessed 28 Jan 2021].

‘It’s in the News!’ 2020. Marcels CRJ [online]. Available at: https://marcelrauschkolb.wordpress.com/2020/12/10/its-in-the-news/ [accessed 16 Jul 2021].

BISSON, Steve. 2021. ‘LANDSCAPE OF REMEMBRANCE. WHAT FOR?’ Urbanautica [online]. Available at: https://urbanautica.com/review/landscape-of-remembrance-what-forij/2348 [accessed 31 Mar 2021].

Final Major Project: Sixth 1:2:1

Fig. 1: Rauschkolb 2021. The wooden base and image holders for the grid at the carpenter’s workshop

I mentioned the exhibition opportunities I received through the municipality later this year and the negotiations with them and the airfield museum about an outdoor/indoor exhibition.

Next were the results from my portfolio review with Simon Norfolk a week ago. In it, he advised me to reshot some images with better, more atmospheric light. Laura agreed here. Other images could be optimized through the use of another perspective.

Fig. 2: Rauschkolb 2021. Linen and tar paper for bookbinding

I work with a carpenter (Philipp Schrattenholz) for grids and objects and a bookbinder (Handbuchbinderei Pohl & Rau) for the project’s book. I could show the first wooden prototype of a grid and the selection of the materials for the book.

Fig. 3: Rauschkolb 2021. Wooden grid about the »Stars and Stripes-Compound«

Hereafter, I showed the newest images, which I shoot last week inside of the wind tunnel. Laura mentioned that some of the shots were very useful as parts of a pop-up.

Fig. 4: Rauschkolb 2021. Inside the wind tunnel

Her general advice was to start a meaningful edit with the essential elements.

In the end, we discussed the content of my presentation for the F-2-F event on Thursday, 08. June.

List of Figures:

Figure 1: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. The wooden base and image holders for the grid at the carpenter’s workshop.

Figure 2: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Linen and tar paper for bookbinding.

Figure 3: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Wooden grid about the »Stars and Stripes-Compound« [giclee prints on oak wood].

Figure 4: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Inside the wind tunnel.

»The look of pictures is informed by the research« – a masterclass with Simon Norfolk

The Belfast Photo Festival called, and I followed. They organized a one-day masterclass with British photographer Simon Norfolk. I follow him for a long time. I am always impressed by the atmosphere of his images and his use of light. Last Thursday, I had the chance to meet him, even if only virtually, in person.

Fig. 1: Norfolk No date. White Light Studio, Kabul.

We had the chance to write him some questions beforehand. Mine were about exhibition design and bookmaking and his thoughts about it. Surprisingly he answered that both aren’t of great interest to him. This is the complete opposite of my approach, but the more he talked, the better I understood his attitude. The exciting part for him is »to take an abstract idea into the picture«. He sees himself more like an archaeologist than a photographer. He states that »all his work is about time«. An essential part of it is research, a fact I absolutely agree with.

Fig. 2: Norfolk 2001. A Government building close to the former Presidential Palace at Darulaman, destroyed in fighting between Rabbani and the Hazaras.

And he mentioned a term I don’t hear very often in the academic description of artworks: beauty. His pictures should be beautiful. The reason for him is that we, as artists, »have to carve out the desire in their [the viewers] heart to watch our pictures«. I understood and agreed with him. I think that the images must attract interest, then people will look at them and get interested in the subject. Or in Simon’s words: »The creation of audience is very important to me«. I thought about my project, and I believe that I have the same idea. I document the place, show its history, make images and objects. The intent is to get people interested in history.

Fig. 3: Norfolk 2010. Security lights and communications antennae at Camp Leatherneck.

Simon showed us lots of his work, from Afghanistan, glaciers to WW1 battlefields. He takes his visual inspiration from painters of the 17th to the 19th century – and I think this gives his images this, in my eyes, extraordinary look.

Fig. 4: Cole 1836. Destruction.

Later he invited us to show him our work on the following day. I used this chance for a portfolio review and got helpful advice from him. I got very positive feedback on montages and grids and the tip to add more trivia, like stories from former soldiers or people living near the area. With this, the work will appear less »cool«, more personal. He also thinks I should show more of my subjective opinion about this place and what happened here. In some images, Simon criticized the light; here, the advice is to reshoot them in the early morning light.

In sum, the lecture and the review were beneficial, and I can recommend them. If you get the chance, you will get lots of insights and advice from a man who works on interesting and important subjects and knows how to photograph them.

List of Figures:

Figure 1: NORFOLK, Simon. No date. White Light Studio, Kabul. Available at: https://www.sfmoma.org/artist/Simon_Norfolk/ [accessed 2 Jul 2021].

Figure 2: NORFOLK, Simon. 2001. A Government building close to the former Presidential Palace at Darulaman, destroyed in fighting between Rabbani and the Hazaras. Available at: https://www.deutscheboersephotographyfoundation.org/de/sammeln/kuenstler/simon-norfolk.php [accessed 2 Jul 2021].

Figure 3: NORFOLK, Simon. 2010. Security lights and communications antennae at Camp Leatherneck. Available at: https://emuseum.mfah.org/objects/112390/security-lights-and-communications-antennae-at-camp-leathern [accessed 2 Jul 2021].

Figure 4: COLE, Thomas. 1836. Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Course_of_Empire&oldid=209657670 [accessed 2 Jul 2021].

Resource:

RAUSCHKOLB, Marcel. 17. June 2021. Notes from Simon Norfolk – Masterclass, Belfast Photo Festival 2021.

Rescuing archive imagery

Fig. 1: Rauschkolb 2021. Nike launch site, cardboard dummy for a photographic object

In my CRJ, I don’t talk much about technique, but I will do this today. What happened? I got access to a new archive with beautiful images from the 1960s. There are portraits of helicopter pilots, servicemen at work on the airfield and a ceremony at the missile launch site. I actually work on a new montage and photographic object and wanted to use the images last mentioned. The problem: There are only digital versions of the photos, and the originals aren’t accessible. The scans showed a huge pixel count (3600×2400) and lots of jpeg-artefacts, making them unusable. But the content was perfect. I assume that they were scanned from a contact sheet and rescaled later.

Fig. 2: Unknown 1964. Nike display Griesheim (detail of scan as received).

When I looked at them in the grid view, more or less in the original negative size, they looked good, at 100 per cent horrible. My idea was to reproduce them in their original size again and then enlarge this new reproduction. I prepared a contact sheet and let it print through my local lab on Fuji paper. This new print, which still looked good, was reproduced with an APS-C camera. After some Lightroom and Photoshop processing, I made a print in the final size on Hahnemühle paper.

Fig. 3: Unknown and Rauschkolb 1964/ 2021. Nike display Griesheim (rephotographed and processed image). 

I could eliminate the jpeg artefacts and save details. Now, it looks a little bit like an old print, a bit blurry, but lovely. Most of these old prints aren’t very sharp, and this could also be seen as a metaphor for memories, which also fade and blur over time.

List of Figures:

Figure 1: Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 2021. Nike launch site, cardboard dummy for a photographic object.

Figure 2: UNKNOWN. 1964. Nike display Griesheim (detail of scan as received). Archive »Förderverein August-Euler-Museum e.V.«

Figure 3: UNKNOWN and Marcel RAUSCHKOLB. 1964/ 2021. Nike display Griesheim (rephotographed and processed image). Archive »Förderverein August-Euler-Museum e.V.«