A R T S T A T E M E N T & B I O G R A P H Y
The New Old Way
to See
Art Statement
With his camera, Tomas Gerber catches the poetry of the moment. His photographs visualise the transitory aspects of life - on the street, the beach or at home. It is not the place that matters, but the moment. Reflective confrontation is a permanent state. Seemingly irrelevant objects suddenly appear centre stage in Gerber’s photography, thus revealing a new aspect of things.
Gerber’s photography is intensively experimental, and he uses many different cameras, among which a cheap toy camera from Hong Kong, called HOLGA 120S (illustration). This sleazy queen of all toy cameras demands films of a professional middle format. She is a tough tool to work with, as she enhances cool emotions and reflects the surreal cosmos in a partly unfocussed, twisted perspective.
"The simple camera gives me back a lot of freedom", says Gerber, "as it makes me focus on a new kind of awareness. Both - the present moment in time and the camera - keep surprising me." Using the black low tech camera, Gerber also explicitly wants to set himself apart from the permanent avalanche of images constantly being spat out by ever more perfect full-automatic small picture and digital cameras.
Biography
Tomas Gerber (*1963) has been intensely interested and constantly busy with contemporary and experimental photography during the past six years. His work has been frequently exposed (alone and in group exhibitions), and shown in various magazines. He has produced several art projects (e.g. "photo-mail-portfolio"). Gerber lives and works in Switzerland. He is a professional typographer, and graduated from the Professional Art School (Gestalterische Berufsmittelschule) in Zurich. Gerber has been writing as a journalist for various newspapers in Switzerland, Austria and Germany for sixteen years.
Press Review
„Tomas Gerber - moments, material, life and viewpoint / Tomas Gerber is
a Switzerland artist who engaged in experimental photography several years. He
has been a journalist more than 16 years. And now he has been intensely
interested with contemporary and experimental photography. His photos have been
frequently exposed and shown in various magazines.
Tomas used a low-priced toy camera with 120 film format for one of his creative
project. This camera only cost hundreds of NT (Taiwan monetary unit) dollars,
but it really gave a different view. The camera's twisted perspective provides
the edges between real and surreal, related cosmos and life.
It's more important to think about the concept inside the photography than
consider those cameras and lense. After looking at Tomas' art work, it really
enlightens us a lot. Useing your mind to control cameras, than your mind won't
under control by equipments." / Hui-Ming Chi (Taiwan)
- Cybermax,
2001/07/03
„Tomas presents some of the most beautiful holga pictures
..."
- Lomovogt
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