Vergiss mein nicht!

Vergiss mein nicht (forget-me-nots/myosotis). This little shooting is part of my Bauhaus research, especially inspired by its photography. 

Most influentially by László Moholy-Nagy who was a lecturer at Bauhaus 1923 to 1928. He was the universities media genius, experimenting with light, film and photography. Later on, he was together with Walter Gropius founding the New Bauhaus and its successor the American School of Design which is today part of the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). 

"The enemy of photography is the convention, the fixed rules of 'how to do'. The salvation of photography comes from the experiment." 

- Moholy-Nagy

He was shaped by shaped by Dadaism, Suprematism and Constructivism, a modernist and a restless experimentalist. 

By going through the book "Photography of Bauhaus" I discovered his work, especially inspiring to me was his use of shadows. Shadows of objects on bodies but also bodies which shadows turn into objects. 

                                                      László Moholy- Nagy, 10 Fotogramme

Through online research, I found this photography by Moholy-Nagy, which very much reminded me of home and the German garden culture. One thing all my customers have in common is the love for their gardens. They love to work on it and spend as much time as possible outside. Ideally all summer. 

Growing up the importance of gardens for us as children was vital, there was no day passing by without playing or walking outside for at least an hour, at any time of the year. 

(Untitled, 1939 Fujicolor Crystal Archive print Image: 22.8 x 34.2 cm, New York (people around a table in a garden) 

Moving to London I realised that this was an absolute privilege, not only having a garden but also working outside. As soon as the first sun came out in spring our teachers send us to work outside. I even remember our Religion teacher pushing us out for a quick run around the school to get revitalized, until year 12. 

In London, people are pre-ordering lunches so they don't waste any time and can continue working whilst easting. Something my customer would not even allow. 

Concept board for the shoot

Going back to my shoot I wanted to portray the loss of the relationship with nature and combine it with Moholy-Nagy's way of using the female body to communicate realism. 

A while ago I met a photographer (Federico Radeaelli) whos work I thought really suited my vision for this experimental photoshoot. Because I couldn't afford to book him for my shoot and he already wanted to shoot me, we agreed that we would work on mutually beneficial terms if I agreed to model. 

The location I've chosen is a garden of a customer. Ironically when I asked her about her favourite flower she told me it's forget-me-nots which were the name (in German) of the shooting, inspired by the memento of Bauhaus which Designs and innovations still form a big part of our creative foundation. 

Even though I think the pictures came out quite well and I can definitely use them for my magazine I do not think they represent my research on Bauhaus or the loss of relationship with nature. 

Now I went back to my previous research on exclusion. The interviews and questionnaire I've sent out to my customer will hopefully lead me to another shoot. Even though it's another theme I will utilize this shooting experience and use my ideas and Moholy-Nagy's experiments also to improve my next shooting. 

Me in Forget-me-nots by Radaelli