Hans-Peter Feldmann's "Voyeur"

I just did an event for D.A.P/Artbooks over the weekend, and it was there that I discovered the charms and artistry of Hans-Peter Feldmann.  He is an artist (even though he claims he's not) who uses second-hand photos to make books.  The one title that I am immediately attracted to is his "Voyeur."  The book is a standard size mass market paper back, and the printing of this volume makes you think of an european production of the late 50's.  The images are printed in what one would think as of newsprint.  So the quality of the images are not as important, but what it conveys is way more important.  But noting that, the images are still extremely striking. 

Mostly due to the nature of one photo among the other photos on that page and how it plays out with the page of images across from that one.  One would think its a random nature in how these images are put together, but i have my doubts about that.   The book "reads" as a visual poem, with one image interacting with the others - or you can take each image separately.  But then the logic thinking makes you try to connect the photographs together to see if it tells a narrative.  And one can either find a narrative or better yet, make one up yourself!

The photographs range from great charm, fantastic humor, to horrifying images of death and accidents. Some photographs, for instance a chair facing a landscape of some sort (one doesn't see the direction the chair is placed) feels like a period at the end of a sentence.   Feldmann has made many book of this sort, but "Voyeur" strikes me as his small masterpiece.  Also the book sticks to my brain like Peanut butter on one's tongue.  

 

More of his work here:

And here's an interview with the (non)artist:  http://www.initiartmagazine.com/interview.php?IVarchive=33