Clips and Scrunchies

Artistic statement:
We, Lucille Galleli and Heiko Mahr, a female and a male artist, started a photography project #female_things. The aim is to photograph everyday items, representative of femininity in a way to underpin issues that are a result of social pressures or are self-inflicted.
Theses images are statements of our version of what femininity and being feminine means to each of us. We intend to challenge stereotypes by creating awareness and provocative impressions. #feminintytome

In times of #MeToo, "Pink Stinks“ and gendered marketing. 
In times of gender equality in words but inequality in actions.
In times of the push to shatter the glass ceiling. 
We, a female and male artist create images of #female_things through which we make a statement about what femininity means to each of us.


You can follow the project here:

www.instagram.com/heiko.mahr/ and 
plus.google.com/collection/FemaleThings

or you can find us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/heiko.mahr  
https://www.facebook.com/lucille​

I had been lucky to meet  Lucille Galleli first time last weekend at a meetup pf G+ photographers  in Paris.
We talked and discussed a lot of things and about a huge variety of topics during the time we had and we created the idea to collaborate on a project about what feminity means to each of us within the "The female things project".


Our artistic statement for this project is:

We #humans live in a world of #things. The things we are belonging makes us as humans, they are defining what we are. 
In times of MeToo and „pink Stinks“ of gendered Marketing, in times of genderequality in the discussions but unequality in daily life this project is about exploring female things.

We, a Lucille Galleli and me will exchange images of #female_things throughout this project and try to let the things make a statement about what means femininity means to each of us. #feminintytome. 

 
Pantyliner is my first image for this series. More images will be added to the project soon.
You can follow the project here:

www.instagram.com/heiko.mahr/and 
www.instagram.com/wanderlust_calls/

or you can find us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/heiko.mahr  
https://www.facebook.com/lucille​

#thefemalethingsproject
#femininitytome 

We #humans live in a world of #things. The things we are belonging makes us as humans, they are defining what we are. 
In times of MeToo and „pink Stinks“ of gendered Marketing, in times of genderequality in the discussions but unequality in daily life this project is about exploring female things.

We, a Lucille Gaelli and me will exchange images of #female_things throughout this project and try to let the things make a statement about what means femininity means to each of us. #feminintytome  
#Feminine #Female #feminism #girl #girls
#gender #empowerment
#life #lifestyle 
#visualart #photography #photo #pink

Bäume sind ein Motiv, dass sich, in verschiedensten Formen, durch meine gesamte fotografische Arbeit zieht.

Ob eingebettet in Landschaften oder nur Zweige und Blätter,
ob klassisch scharf fotografier, oder unscharf mit Anleihen von Impressionismus und Postimpressionismus oder minimalistisch inspiriert von der japanischen Ästhetik des Wabi-Sabi, finden sich Bäume in den unterschiedlichsten Variationen.

Bäume haben eine Bedeutung für mich, für mich symbolisieren sie etwas wichtiges - so wichtig, das ich seit Jahren nicht aufhören kann Bäume zu fotografieren. Was genau sie symbolisieren - darauf gibt es viele Antworten. 

Als Lebewesen das in zwei Elementen - der Erde und dem Himmel wächst, hat ein Baum besonderen Qualitäten, die das Übernatürliche  ansprechen und so z.B. als  Baum unter dem Bhudda seine Erleuchtung gefunden hat, oder Yggdrasil dem Weltenbaum . Im Boden tief verwurzelt, wachsen Bäume in den Himmel, breiten ihre Zweige und ihre Wurzeln aus und tragen manchmal Früchte. Immer wieder sieht man Bäume mit toten Ästen, oder welche die vom Blitz getroffen wurden oder vom Sturm gestürzt wurden und trotzdem weiterwachsen und wir und wir bewundern sie für ihre Stärke, für ihren Willen und ihre Hartnäckigkeit und für die Hoffnung. 
Denn nicht zuletzt zeigen uns Bäume wie auch nach langem Winter das Leben jedes Jahr neu beginnen kann.

Hermann Hesse hat es so ausgedrückt:
"Bäume sind Heiligtümer. Wer mit ihnen zu sprechen, wer ihnen zuzuhören weiß, der erfährt die Wahrheit. Sie predigen nicht Lehren und Rezepte, sie predigen, um das Einzelne unbekümmert, das Urgesetz des Lebens. "

Trees are a motif that, in various forms, runs like a golden thread through my entire photographic work.

Whether embedded in landscapes or just twigs and leaves,
whether classically sharply photographed, or blurred with borrowings from impressionism and post-impressionism, or minimalistically inspired by the Japanese aesthetics of Wabi-Sabi, trees can be found in a wide variety of variations.

Trees have a meaning for me, for me they symbolize something important - so important that I can not stop photographing trees for years. What exactly they symbolize - there are many answers.

As living things grow in two elements - the earth and the sky, a tree has special qualities that appeal to the supernatural. Just think about that Bhudda  did found enlightmend under a  tree or  Yggdrasil the World Tree from Nordish sagas.

Deeply rooted in the ground, trees growing into the sky, spreading their branches and roots and sometimes bearing fruits.
Again and again we see trees with dead branches, or those who were struck by lightning or were toppled by  storms but are still growing 
Those are trees which admire  for their strength, for their will and tenacity and for their hope.
After all, trees, as well as after a long winter, can start life anew every year.

Hermann Hesse put it this way:
"Trees are sanctuaries, those who speak with them, those who know how to listen to them, they learn the truth, they do not preach doctrines and formulas, they preach, carefree to the individual, the primal law of life."

Schattenschnitt / Shadouette, Heimheim,2014

Anrufung des Winters /Invocation of Winter, Renningen, 2016

© Heiko Mahr, 2014, 2016