German fashion photographer Marten von Rauschenberg is no longer content snapping pretty pics for glossy mags. Yearning to be a "real" artist, he has found Shanghai to be an ideal muse, writes Wang Jie.
Boredom is something everyone has to overcome. It could be at the office, at school, or even worse, boredom with life. Photographer Marten von Rauschenberg says his tedious daily routine in Germany was no longer enough. He wanted more from life. He chose Shanghai. And he hasn't looked back.
Von Rauschenberg arrived only two months ago and has already worked with several well-known local fashion magazines and advertising companies, including "How," "WFD" and "Metropolis."
"I am a bit surprised to see how the fashion magazines here hunger for experienced Western fashion photographers," the 25-year-old smiles. "Those imitated Western-style pictures don't cater to the taste of readers, who need original photos. It seems that I came here just at the right moment."
Clad in a traditional Chinese silk jacket, von Rauschenberg is still busy settling down in the city where he will open a new studio and hire a local photography assistant.
"So much to think and so much to do everyday, unlike the shrinking market in Germany," he laments. "Shanghai is such a hot spot of the world."
Before coming to the city, however, von Rauschenberg's impression of China was that of "a poor developing country."
"If I hadn't been here, I would never know the real charm of the country," he admits.
The experience of surviving in a new environment definitely offers new challenges, as well as new inspiration. But his move to Shanghai is not a unique event in his life. He has developed a pattern of leaving Germany.
It all started tragically.
At the age of 19, he was an ambulance driver, but dreamed of becoming a scientist until the sudden death of Mark, a special friend. Their relationship existed entirely in their preferred drinking establishment, but it proved to be the spark von Rauschenberg needed.
"Mark called himself an artist, but he had never done anything related to art. All he had was those strange artistic ideas," he says. "But we shared really wonderful and wild times drinking beer. One day, Mark disappeared from the bar, and I was told that he died from a car accident."
At Mark's funeral, von Rauschenberg brought a camera to record their special friendship. "From that day, I discovered that a new visual world could be built up by my camera," he says. "Mark's death made me realize that life is more than facts."
With newly found inspiration, von Rauschenberg quit his job at the hospital and went to Berlin where he first started as a photographer's assistant.
The first three months were a nightmare. He wasn't ready yet. With little knowledge and no experience in the business, von Rauschenberg decided he needed a change.
He chose to travel around South Africa. After wandering for four months, he returned to Germany and prepared for a career in photography.
In the following years things went smoothly for the shutterbug. His career emerged like a print from a darkroom. "Marie Claire," "FHM" and "Allegora" magazines are among the impressive publications in his portfolio. He also earned many frequent flier miles as well, traveling between Athens, Milan, Berlin and Hamburg.
But those alluring cover model shots have never been enough. Von Rauschenberg wants to be a real artist. "Commercial photos are not what my heart is beating for," he says. "They are too beautiful and perfect. I would love to create some pictures free of any limits."
Working toward that goal, von Rauschenberg released a series of contemporary art photos in 2000 under the name of "Doll House" that won him fame in German art circles. He combined digital skills with matrix technology and photoshop processing to create backdrop settings reminiscent of 1930s Europe.
A modern-dressed blonde presents a striking contrast with the background, bridging the distance between the hallucinating past and the real present.
"These pictures have a key," he says. "And visitors can use that key to open a door leading to another emotional world."
Last year von Rauschenberg was selected as one of four artists out of 600 candidates for the Schoeppingen Foundation -- a government-funded project that gives four artists a chance to live in this village for one month. Each artist was free to create surrounded by this small town environment.
For van Rauschenberg, contemporary art pictures motivate him while fashion photography pays the bills. "I always have two pocket books with me, recording the things-to-do of these two different areas," he says. "They are akin to two parallels, running well with each other."
The young photographer is also fascinated with Chinese culture, reflected not only in his fashion sense, but also in his desire to learn Mandarin. "One of my purposes here is to learn Chinese," he smiles. "I think in three or four years I will speak fluent Chinese with my friends."
Von Rauschenberg says that Shanghai has sparked his imagination.
"I'd love to incorporate the Oriental elements into my photos, but it takes time to learn about a country and its culture," he comments.
"I can't tell what I will shoot in the future, but I am very interested in those buildings in town."
While living his dream in a foreign land, von Rauschenberg has found a new window in life has opened.
(Shanghai Daily June 2, 2003)
