2.2. Finding Oneself ................................1 : 2.1 : 2.2 : 2.3 : 3 I deutsch
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While reflecting on my own youth, the cycle Finding Oneself developed from 1988 - 1990
in Essen. The philosophy of life held by the people I photographed
during this time reminded
me in a way of my own philosophy as a young person in the '70s, that of not seeing in society
a chance for one`s future. The protest of not conforming to society`s conventions, as they
were at that time, is an issue I felt also existed amongst the people I met while photographing
Finding Oneself.
But as this work developed, I became aware of my own subjective interpretation
of the situation;
I could no longer compare the lifestyle of those represented in Finding Oneself with that of my
own youth. Rather, I recognized that I looked at their lifestyle with the eyes of an adult. My
youth had been more than 10 years prior. Out of this tension between sympathy and distance
I developed my photographic message.
Both works deal with the question of the identity of the individual within a community. The people
in both groups are looking for social contacts. They develop habits and demonstrate their outlook
on life. One can say that the individuals and families from Deutsche Volksfeste adhere to a set of
rules created for them by previous generations and help to convey those rules and codes of
behaviour to future generations. Simply said, the people from Finding Oneself oppose the principles
and manners given to them by their upbringing. They create a way of living that demonstrates their
rejection of social values. In living out this rejection, they create other rules and codes of behaviour.