New Mexico 3, 1999/2022

Digital print of a 16mm film, boat varnish, epoxy

The artist Gerhard Klocker, born in Austria in 1962, is known not only for his photography but also for his publications. In his work as a photographer, publicist and filmmaker, however, Klocker always devotes himself to similar formats and media.

In this work New Mexico 3, from the series A Portrait in Music , the artist's two primary media come together: Film and Photography. In the film A Portrait in Music , shot in New York and New Mexico in 1999, Klocker accompanies a friend and his bass on their journey through these states. Representative of Gerhard Klocker's focus, the artist captures everyday scenes of urban or longitudinal life. So too the vast and ostensibly monotonous landscapes of New Mexico. What is remarkable about the works, however, is that they can be viewed through the eyes of everyday consciousness, immediately creating a fictitious and almost nostalgic rapport between viewer and work.

In the series A Portrait in Music , Klocker now also combines the two media of photography and film. It can be seen at the edge of the work that the subject is not a film still. In this case, the artist extracted individual film stills from the film shot in 1999 and mounted them on wood. According to the artist, the stills extracted from the 16mm film correspond to the experiences and sensitivities on site due to their graininess and further treatment with boat varnish and epoxy resin. Thus, it is intended that the work does not appear pristine and yellowed.