Pygmalion Karatzas
Architectural, Fine Art & Commercial Photography

Sebastian Weiss studied Civil Engineering at the Technical University of Dresden and worked as an art director in advertising agencies before turning his focus on architectural photography, both with his own original work and editorially as photo columnist for AD Architectural Digest Germany and a BFF professional. Through his lens the aesthetic and individual aspects and qualities of the public domain become the stage for the interaction between every day life and the built environment. With a strong graphic presence and the subtle simplicity of minimalism we explore forms, patterns, textures, and colours from the diverse urban landscape of both landmark architecture and trivial buildings. His images have received distinctions from international competitions like PX3, IPA, Arcaid Images and represented by Tappan Collective in Los Angeles.

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Pygmalion Karatzas: Mr. Sebastian Weiss, thank you for accepting the invitation to discuss and show some of your work with us here at arcspace. Could you tell us about your background and how did you start being involved with photography?
Mr. Karatzas thank you for your invitation and for your interest in my work.

Sebastian Weiss: Already while studying civil engineering at the Technical University in Dresden, I was inspired rather by the creative viewpoints of a building than by its constructive aspects. The analytic involvement with these two poles guided me to the University of the Arts in Berlin in order to follow up the field between technology and design. I experienced the "initial moment" for my photography in Berlin, where I began to explore the city’s architectural changes in a photographic way. At that time, a vast number of interesting buildings was erected, which changed the city's face deeply. The heterogeneous architecture in West and East Berlin with its origin in the time of the Iron Curtain, in combination with the architecture of other cultural epochs, excited me strongly. Since then my passion for architectural photography evolved. However, I’ve been working for a long time as a creative employee / art director in several advertising agencies, before I finally realized that I would rather visualize my own ideas with architectural photography. Since 2013, I am announced as a photo columnist for AD Architectural Digest Germany, and in 2017 I became a professional member of the BFF (Berufsverband Freie Fotografen und Filmgestalter e.V.), the Professional Association of Freelance Photographers in Germany. Nowadays I am a Hamburg based architectural photographer.

PK: Could you describe your overall photographic vision and approach?

SW: The photographic encounter with a building feels to me like a meeting with a strange or unknown person, there is curiosity and tension, but also respect and restraint. In the developing interaction, which seems sometimes a bit like a “conversation”, I try to fathom the traits, peculiarities or secrets that make this “individual” so unique. In doing so, I avoid dictating or directing the dialogue. The “person”, to stick to the metaphor, is always in the foreground.
Sometimes the rapprochement takes longer, but sometimes it really happens fast and I immediately find a convenient basis to work on. I remember a shooting at a Parish Church in Blönduós, a small city in the northwest of Iceland, designed by Dr. Maggi Jónsson. The trip was planned since a long time and well prepared. Although I knew what to expect, I was pretty uptight about it. When I saw the building from afar, my heart opened straightaway. Usually I do not choose buildings by their popularity or the name recognition of its architect. It could also be a completely trivial building, like a supermarket or parking garage that has a charisma.

PK: Could you tell us a bit more about your series ‘Dramatis Personae’? (what attracted you in these buildings, how long have you been working on the series, is it an on-going project?)

SW: In general I perceive the city as a "theatre of life". Every day, dramas, comedies or cliffhangers are performed on their stage and we are all part of this “public performance”. When I visited in 2016 some very expressive and characterful buildings, I felt like being within such a public performance. I examined who the protagonists are on the stage of the city. It is not about good or bad characters, but actors, who embody their role authentically and memorably. Against this backdrop, I began to document the architectural ensemble of the city according to the most important actors from my point of view. The metaphor "dramatis personae" derives from this idea - the cast of main architectural protagonists on the stage of the city, which in turn provide us with an appropriate space for our daily performances. Till now I finished 3 series of this ongoing project and currently I am planning the fourth sequence.

PK: Which are some of the influences to your photographic work and in what ways have they affected your approach?

SW: Well, I think the background of my civil engineering studies and the exchange with many architecture students as well as my longtime job as a designer are shaping my photographic work. I have some knowledge about construction, but I look at buildings more from an aesthetic point of view. Of course, constant architectural research, traveling and exchanging ideas with other people are also affecting my work. What drives me is curiosity and the desire to develop myself; a self-reflection of my own work is also very crucial. Sometimes I get inspiration also from other photographers whom I admire, even if - or maybe just because - they have a different style in approaching architecture. I adore for example the work from Joseph Schulz, Brigida González, Adam Mørk, Serge Najjar.

PK: What photographic gear and post-processing workflow do you use and what are your thoughts about their role in the creative process?

SW: After having tried different photographic systems, I have made the decision for Canon equipment. Currently I am working with an EOS 5DSR as well as several optics and tripods. By choosing Canon, the post-production was in my opinion greatly simplified, and the post-processing activity is substantially reduced. During the shootings I take care to photograph a nearly finished picture, which requires only a small effort of post-processing.

PK: Has your work as photo columnist for AD Architectural Digest Germany affected your personal approach and perspective towards architectural photography, and if so in what ways?

SW: No, I would not say that my cooperation with AD Architectural Digest Germany has affected my approach, as I have the freedom to pursue my very own perspective after all. AD gives me completely free rein in the choice of my motives and the topics of my series. Maybe my earlier works were a bit more minimalist than they are these days. Nowadays I often allow the buildings more room to evolve.

PK: You are also active in social media platforms like Instagram and Behance. What is the value (and possibly pitfalls) in your opinion of such online sharing outlets for your work in particular and for artistic photography in general?

SW: Since 2005 I have tested various social media platforms to present my work to the public. Because of my limited time I have decided on only two and focus 100% on Behance (since 2012) and Instagram (since 2010). I also use Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook, but these networks are secondary to me. To be successful and visible on the platforms, a high level of interaction with the community as well as continuity are important. I reach much more people through the viral power of these platforms than with my classical website. So I present my work on these platforms to get more visibility, but I also use them for inspiration, research and customer acquisition. The two platforms differ in terms of user structure, quality of work and number of members. While users of all ages, educational levels and interests can be found on Instagram, the users of Behance usually have a professional background and present high-quality portfolios there. Behance is a kind of LinkedIN for creatives of all genres, there are also marketers, publishers or gallery owners. So over the years, Behance has become almost more important to me than Instagram. The disadvantage of using social media platforms lies mainly in the risk of copyright infringement through theft and unlicensed use of photographs. Unfortunately, I've seen that already in countless cases, especially in Russia, Asia and South America, and I cannot do anything against it. That's the other side of the coin, and I hope that platform operators will install technical barriers to prevent copyright infringement in the future. Nevertheless, I can not and do not want to renounce the use of social media.

PK: Tappan Collective Gallery based in Los Angeles is representing some of your work. What are your thoughts about the photographic art market nowadays and the business aspect of the medium?

SW: I consider myself primarily as a photographer and not as an artist. In that sense, I do not want to stick my neck out too far when judging the art market. Photography as an art form is established, but still quite young and certainly has a lot of potential. However, from my experience, it is very difficult to be perceived in this environment. Digitalization and technological advances have led to the result that virtually anyone can photograph today and immediately share these images with his/her environment. Basically that's a great development! But in this flood of photographs, it is not easy to be perceived. Above all, the single image looses value in this mass of images. I am all the more pleased when there are people who recognize a good photograph and are ready to pay money for it.

PK: Since 2016 you have been participating and receiving awards in international photography competitions like Arcaid Images, PX3, IPA, among others. What value do you find most positive from such participations and distinctions?  
SW: The positive feedback I get on Instagram or Behance make me happy, no doubt about that. The high number of followers on Internet platforms is great, but does such a number reveal something about the real value of the work? I do not think so, and that's why I started participating in international competitions and introducing my photography to professional judges. I use the competitions as an indicator to find out what value my work has. The participation and awards help me to classify myself in a global context and are an orientation for me, where I stand with my photography.

Links:
Sebastian Weiss website: https://www.le-blanc.com

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Originally published on arcspace.com, 13 August 2018.