WORLD OF FANTASY

KARIN BAUER

// Karin is an Austrian photographer with a passion for experimental photography and photo art. Her focus is in particular on the link between reality and illusion, which she achieves through mixed media techniques and digital image processing. We are pleased to feature a set from her series “World of Fantasy”.

A medical doctor by profession, Karin uses her spare time to let her creativity reign. Initially shooting analog, since 2011 she has been intensely occupied with digital photography. Trained as a professional photographer in Vienna at the Lightbox Academy with Robert Pichler, she went on to complete studies of applied and artistic photography at the Prager Fotoschule in Linz, from which she graduated with a diploma on the subject of street photography – “Walk’n Street”. Since 2015 Karin has participated in numerous group exhibitions at national and international galleries.

Her current photographic interests are mainly the linking of reality and illusion through graphic elements and experimental color compositions as well as smooth transitions from photography and painting through mixed media techniques and digital image processing, abstraction of architectural elements through unusual perspectives and views different from those of the familiar everyday environment.

“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.”

Henry Ward Beecher

What draws you to the arts?

“For me, occupation with art, especially photography is an important balance to my job as a doctor in an acute admission ward, where the factor of time and routine is important and there is no room for creativity and emotions. Visiting exhibitions is an important opportunity for inspiration and engagement with the artistic interpretation of others.”

What do you like best about photo art such as the images you have shared with us?

“For me, photography is a process of meditation, where I can give free rein to my moods, ideas and thoughts, which often leads the chosen path to a different destination, not only in thought, but also in the real world. That’s why I prefer to be alone when photographing. I like to experiment with the camera, using double and multiple exposures in the camera itself as well as in digital post-processing. I find particularly fascinating the possibilities of using the simple means of colouring to change the visual world, to make it more colourful and cheerful, or dark, mysterious and threatening, thus creating special moods and feelings. Mixed media techniques, such as the combination of polaroid emulsion transfer with digital photography lead to unexpected visual impressions. Not to forget the fascination of chance/coincidence, which is an exciting element of my photographic techniques and always surprises me with its creativity.“

The images of Karin´s series ‘World of Fantasy’ show a fictional world. They form the background of stories and associations that are meant to arise in the mind of the viewer. Inspired by the story of ‘Alice in Wonderland’, Karin changes the photographic objects from their original shapes and colours: proportions are changed to unrealistic sizes, the colours are changed to striking and – for the subject matter – unrealistic hues, akin to the art of expressionist painters.

Intentionally, Karin does not title her works, so as not to influence the viewer’s imagination.

We hope you enjoy the artistic wonderland, where we can well imagine the mad hatter meeting Alice and striking up a surreal conversation.

Click on the photos to see a larger image with its title.