My work is dealing with parallel worlds, which exists in our society. Sometimes they seem like paradise to me.
In my photographs I want to make them visible, give them a voice and an artistic form, show their beauty and power.
For that purpose I combine documentary and fiction. My images are looking real and unreal at the same time, often move away from time and seem like a filmstill or a painting.
„Embassy of Trees“ eröffnet ihre Botschaft in Monheim am Rhein. Der Wald kommt in die Stadt vom 7.2. – 31.07.2020 .Die Künstlerin Ellen Bornkessel bringt mit ihrem Projekt „Embassy of Trees“ den Wald in die Stadt und gibt den Bäumen eine Stimme. Sie geht in den Wald und fotografiert Bäume auf eine ganz besondere Weise. Es sind Fotografien, die das individuelle Erleben des Waldes fotografisch einfangen. Eines dieser Waldmotive umkleidet einen öffentlichen Bus kunstvoll und bildstark und bringt den Wald sprichwörtlich in die Stadt. Die Natur taucht so auf spielerische Weise in unserem Lebensraum auf. Das Walderleben beschränkt sich jedoch nicht auf das Sichtbare. Im Innenraum duftet es behutsam wahrnehmbar nach natürlichen Walddüften. Die Fahrgäste steigen ein und werden durch den Duft an den Wald erinnert.„
I was searching for people who uses the urban space at night for their own needs. For me the city is like a stage. With all the lights it looks like a filmstill or a theaterscene. I wanted to transform the banal scenery into a filmstill. I asked the persons, if I can take a picture of what they are doing. Then I took a long time exposure and they have to stand still like a sculpture for 6 - 20 seconds. This gave the whole scene a dense moment of importance. The book "play" is available at Klartext-Verlag.
Wild flowers
my latest work, which I just finished, is a series of trees, with the specific winterlight. It looks like using a spot, but it`s all natural light.
I was searching for the being and the energy of the forest. Like most of my images, it looks a bit unreal like the setting of a film or a painting.
is a series of long time exposures, which I took in the mountains of Gomera at night.
I have never seen such a powerful and magic landscape. At night it`s totally deserted, you can only hear some goats. In this silence I discovered waves of fog,
which are moving very fast. The clouds and the fog are illuminated by the lights of the villages.I had the feeling of discovering a new planet.
After the floodwater of the river "Rhein"
is a book about the theaterfestival "Promethiade", which took place in Athens, Istanbul and Essen. It`s available at Klartext Verlag
Portraits for magazines and business
Video