Jörg Koopmann - Born in Brennen

Jörg Koopmann

Book presentation and show tonight:

Stadtmuseum Munich, 6-8 pm

St. Jakobs-Platz 1

Stadtmuseum

D – 80331 München

I can't make it tonight as I am travelling in the wrong direction, but if you are in Munich, be sure to stop by and see Jörg Koopmann's newest book and project. I just recently posted about Cat Seen, so it seems Jörg is a busy man...

He has promised to send this one as well so keep in touch for a review soon, if I ever get around for finding that "quiet moment" which I am beginning to feel is a myth.

you can find it here, and hopefully on the Buffet in the next few days.

www.bookwithabeard.com

excerpt from Gero Günthers text for Born in Brennen*:

"... 

For actually, it is all about power and deception, violence and politics, terrorism and torture, bionics and fashion, gestures and signs.

As well as confusion, displacement and inconsistency. 

For instance „born in brennen“. Jörg tells me that Patti Smith invited Murat Kurnaz as guest of honor to her concert in Munich.  The German-Turk is the best known or maybe most mediasized of the prisoner camp at Guantanamo Bay.  The American singer is deeply stirred.  When I look at this young man, I ask myself how I would react if my son had gone off travelling somewhere and was imprisoned by some governement for five years just because they entertained some suspicions about him?  While she is performing her song about Kurnaz on the small stage at the Haus der Kunst, Patti Smith crumples up the note with the lyrics and throws it aside. Jörg picks up the paper and the first line catches his eyes. In Patti Smith´s version Kurnaz´ place of birth has changed from Bremen to Brennen.

Misunderstandings, confusions and deceptions.You are never interested in the unambiguous, explicit, distinct, I claim. Where others simply try to make a point, you create references and links. Where others tend to work superelevated, Koopmann exercises modesty. While others specifically jeopardize themselves, you prefer exploring the periphery of the events. We have always shared this affection for side scenes. If „cat seen“ was an example of anti-nature photography, „born in brennen“ is an example of anti-news photography. Pictures, which do not try to prove a point. Have you never been afraid to alienate the concerned ones, though? Demonstrators, activists, people, who are working hard to let things appear distinct and explicit.

No, he has not.

..."

Jörg Koopmann - Cat Seen

from Pet Houses, Jörg Koopmann

from The Naked Forest, Jörg Koopmann

from Pet Houses, Jörg Koopmann

from The Naked Forest, Jörg Koopmann

from Pet Houses, Jörg Koopmann

Jörg Koopmann

Cat Seen - Limited edition book

This is Jörg Koopmann's second book after Auto, which is a bit hard to find, and I am sure this one is also destined to become rare as well. (There is one called Distance to Destination but do you think I can find my copy? of course not, so if I loaned you mine...) Cat Seen is the combination of 2 series by Koopmann, Pet Houses and The Naked Forest.

Pet Houses always on the left, The Naked Forest always on the right. Just as with his Auto book, and as with most work he publishes and exhibits, he seamlessly combines he assignment work with personal work, so seamlessly that one can't really speak of the two being separated at all. Jörg Koopmann, based in Munich, is well known for his contributions to some of the top magazines including Die Zeit, Spex, Wallpaper etc. focusing mostly on travel photography. 

The Pet Houses series was made, for the most part, in New Orleans in February 2006 after the devastation of hurricane Katrina. The title of this book is taken from the cryptic, hand-scrawled graffiti which marked the houses where pets were still living. These markings would give the necessary information to the volunteers and organizations taking care of these pets as the owners had fled with no way of taking them along.

The Naked Forest is an ongoing theme addressing a simultaneously funny/sad/curious/strange relationship which we have with animals, both domestic and wild. Several of these images can be seen in a presentation in Die Zeit Magazine.  

This is a beautiful book, the design is elegant and the hand-written title is a very nice touch. The text by Daniel Pies, as well as the imprint, is printed on the back cover, leaving the inside completely to the photos. 

It is in an edition of 1000, not necessarily a "limited edition" typical of the Buffet, but it is fitting in the sense that each of the 1000 copies is hand numbered on the spine.

Hard cover 30 x 23 cm.
Book with a Beard 2009
34.00 Euro

Here is a bit of info about the publisher, Book with a Beard, which is Jörg's new venture into the publishing world, Cat Seen is his first of hopefully many titles.

Jörg is a busy man, he also organizes an "event" called Glossy with Martin Fengel.

and he tells me that the second book form A Book with a Beard will be out in the beginning of May.