Yearning, vulnerability, self-image, and desire—all of this can be found in the densely atmospheric photographs of Florian Geiss (born 1969), which emanate a fascinating yet disturbing aura. In Gimme Shelter, the German photographer focuses on his protagonists’ search for identity and individuality in the aspirational dream known as the American way of life. With their interplay of light and shadow, and minimal, yet succinct colors, these works unite formal elements of cinematic advertising aesthetics with traditional American color photography. Intimate portraits and panoramic landscape pictures open up spaces for questions about belonging and unconventionality, dreams of life, and reality.
