As a child of the Ruhr area in Germany, grandson of two former
miners and son of a sexton, I am overjoyed, that I found an
old miner uniform in a shop window of my hometown. Pretty quickly I had the idea to create a fine art
photo series concentrating on Saint Barbara, who is venerated
as the patron saint of miners. I find it exciting
to switch roles. To emphasize the strength of this holy
woman, in my project a female model is wearing the historical miner
uniform. Even though mining in the Ruhr area is history now,
in this photo series BARBARA is portrayed in situations
typical of the Ruhr area or at prominent locations of this area in the present. It is my goal to make
the recipient ponder on various topics and to take him on a
somewhat different journey through this region. By concentrating on settings like BARBARA riding an e-scooter past a coal mine, a heap, a underground station, a kiosk, a film art theatre, etc. I'd like to take up topics such as
sustainability, the role of women and the change in the Ruhr area from an industrial to a cultural landscape.
