Bernd Sannwald

From early childhood, secret passages, ruins, caves, archaeology, diving and magic had a strong attraction for Bernd Sannwald. Interest in photography started in Liverpool Cathedral, at a red stained-glass window. The sun focused the light, and it seemed to be coming straight at him on the print. Camera equipment followed but remained in a cupboard for a long time because of  family and work. He focussed on family, biology, medicine and psychotherapy studies and practice.

A trip in 2006 changed this fundamentally, and the old passion sprouted again, memories of Liverpool and of the work he had done on this at the time. From 2009 to 2012 he studied photography with three teachers in Munich, supplementing his main job as a photographer with new digital equipment. From 2015 photography became his focus; he joined the BBK (artists’ association) and published three books.

He has visited over 160 cities on extensive photo tours, with a small city map, without a tripod, as his subjects are not in any guidebook. He walks from morning to night to find the mysterious. A play of light and shadow, a garbage can, a bench, a special facade, a staircase, or simply a bar, and so on. Everyday objects are preferably photographed in such a way that you cannot recognize them at first. And if it then looks like a painting, that’s perfect.

“What is particularly important to me is to detach myself from the surface of an object, from the object in general, to get behind it, to immerse myself, to transcend. What else do I see apart from this object? How does it affect me? Am I fascinated, neutral, repelled, what does it say about me, can this two-dimensional thing resonate with me, say something about me, my life, about my philosophy, my view of the world? And would I have these impressions at a second viewing?”