Kathrin Günter

Kathrin Guenter has been exploring extensively gossip, star behaviour and the phenomenon of paparazzi photography. Her recent researches and investigations focus on thought-o-graphic experiments, photo chemical processes and other invisible phenomena in photography of the early twentieth century.

Star Shots I, II, III

The first series of star shots emphasizes on and plays with the allegedly scandalous but rather stereotype situations in the world of celebrity gossip, categorized (by the artist) as at the beach, at a party, shopping, at the airport etc. Ever repeating scenarios, easy to identify as paparazzi imagery due to their blurriness and distance to the subject, resulting in a grainy pattern and not to forget the fine greenish blurry cloud in the foreground decorating most of the images, as a result of literally shooting their victim behind a camouflage of protective bushes. The exchangeability of these images, which may only reveal the identity of their blurry protagonists throughout a well fitting or rather manipulative headline as well as the constant in-scening of both the observer and the observed is the main aspect in the first star shots series.

Leaving behind above mentioned easy-to-identify aesthetics of former mainstream paparazzi photography, the protagonists of the second series, both in front of and behind the camera, come out of their protective camouflage to carefully assist each other in finally choosing and publishing the most suitable moment.

Focusing on young female media stars, star shots 2 reveals the pseudo scandal beneath the alleged perfect appearance of celebrities within paparazzi photography. Widely documented and broad casted disasters, such as Kate Moss' affection for cocaine or Britney Spears' inability to successfully park her car, are just a few examples to be reenacted by the artist herself in the photographic series.

Star shots II visualizes the crack in the mask, which, seductively glittering, slowly gives way under the pressure of constant observation and the inevitably destructive desire of self in-scene-ing, to eventually break open, scattering the myriad alleged scandals and tragedies, which the hungry public eye is waiting for day after day: The blank bareness in all its eerie, dazzling splinters. This series emphasizes the absurdity on which the female star cult is based and on the damaging consequences that a daily in-scene-ing can extend to.

Star Shots III, the third part of the series which is still in progress - conjures and consequently exposes the double, the mask of certain living celebrities in the very darkroom kabinett of the artist. tbc