On the occasion of their new issue #10, Musée Magazine offers an interview with German photographer Juergen Teller.
We recently interviewed Steidl, and he has published most of your books, what was your experience with him?
Jürgen Teller: I would say we have total companionship. I count him as a friend in a and he has been completely and totally open from the first moment. Equally I share his enthusiasm and love of making books. He likes what I do so much, and he is extremely flexible with me on when and how to achieve that. I can publish a book very quickly with him. He is open to putting in extra effort, and I really enjoy being there in [Steidlville] when I go. For example I did Louis XV: On the side where the pages are we have a gold frame around it, and it’s real leather, and he doesn’t say ‘oh that leather is too expensive’ we try to do a good book. I do expensive books, I do cheap books, I do all different sizes, and he is always open to just generate books with me. I find it extremely pleasurable working with him. He is great.
Did you have a specific idea in mind when you went to Ukraine?
Peter Poroshenko, the director of the Pinchuk Art Centre who also did the pavilion in the Venice Biennale for Ukraine. That was in Palazzo Papadopoli. He wanted to do a group show instead of a single show. He wanted to ask Ukrainian artists and western artists to ask the question; “Where is Ukraine heading?”. What is happening now? and whats going to happen in Ukraine?”, and with this theme I explored the question. I went to Ukraine and I compiled a double story for W Magazine.
So there was something in mind?
I went there first for 2 weeks and thought about what the hell I could do. Then I came up with this idea where basically you arrived at the airport in Ukraine and when you stand in the queue to show your passport there are video screens everywhere where they showed fashion tv. Which I thought was extremely bizarre. Then you go on the subway, and on the trains in the subway there were monitors, and its fashion, fashion, fashion, handbags, handbags, handbags. They opened up these Gucci shops and Saint Laurent shops. There were masses of black huge cars, Mercedes and convertibles. Then at the same time there was this incredible obvious frustration and poverty. I kind of wanted to go with that capitalistic hunger for products they wanted. That’s when I came back and explained to W that I wanted to do a fashion story. That’s when Louis Vuitton came up with a handbag combined of 17 handbags, it was the most expensive handbag in the world and I took that bag there. That answers one of your first questions about whether my work is spontaneous. I went there for 2 weeks, had discussions with Peter Poroshenko and looked at the area, then came up with a completely different idea. Something else inspired me but there was a lot of planning involved.
Do clients give you a lot of freedom?
They want my impact, they don’t come with a finished layout, they don’t say; “well, do trees over there, the car has to be there, and this has to be there.” It’s not like that at all. I choose my clients extremely carefully. I have so many requests. I have to listen to everything, and that’s when the work already starts. I decline most of the requests.
Would you consider your work Political? One has to be careful what you say in this question. I certainly think a lot of what the impact of the photograph is, yeah. Is it political? Maybe? It’s an opinion.
Do you think your work has changed since you have a family now?
Of course. Work is always changing. 17 years ago when I had my first daughter, I became a different person. It changes you completely, how can it not? You have a totally different outlook on life, and in terms of the work you become much more precise. You don’t have the time to doodle around, so you have to use your time really well. I used to think about ‘oh I’m going to think about this, and do it tomorrow, and work a little on it, and then I’m doing this, and this”. Because you have time if you don’t have kids but now time is more constricted. You have to be much more precise and sharp because you have a life with your family.
What advice do you have for someone who is just starting in fashion photography today? It’s simple, try to be your own person, you have to bring yourself to the table, and you have to have a really good reason why you are doing it—why you are doing what you are doing.
What was your reason?
I enjoy it. But you know I could think other fashion photographers are into the lifestyle, or into the power, or into the mind, or into the girls. I think I’m good at it, and I find it relatively easy to do, and I have a good instinct for it. I don’t treat it as a chore, I treat it as an adventure. I treat it as something interesting, and there are restrictions but you enjoy these restrictions. There is a tremendous freedom which they give you, they can get you to places. Get you certain scenarios get you people you would never have thought you were going to work with and it opens incredible doors. You use these things that they can give you to your advantage. Not advantage in negative way but for something positive.
Do you feel a moral responsibility when you take a photograph. For example, there are no smoking laws, do you feel comfortable showing girls smoking?
You do have a responsibility. Of course I wouldn’t ask a young girl to be naked either, only if they are fully grown, and I feel they understand the situation, and know what they are doing. In a fashion photograph I wouldn’t have them smoking either except if its a photograph about themselves, a portrait, and if she is smoking then, she would be smoking. I’m conscious about things.
Are you a spiritual person?
Well I guess I can give you a straight answer. My dad killed himself when I was 24 and that gives you a lot to think about. I’m thinking it could go this way, or that way, and I’m thinking I just have one life. I don’t want to just doodle around and not do anything. You are in control of your life and you have to push your life. You have to take the opportunity. You have to take the step and excitement and thats what I am doing.
This issue is about ritual, do you have a daily ritual?
I really enjoy getting up in the morning and having breakfast with my family. Then I drive my son if I am in London, I drive him to school on my moped. That’s a ritual I really enjoy.
MAGAZINE
Musée Magazine
#10 Ritual
Novembre 2014
http://museemagazine.com
