Jessica Backhaus (* 1970) is considered one of the most significant voices of contemporary photography in Germany. In her work, she explores topics such as intuition, poetry, emotion, color, and the photographic possibilities of abstraction. With ‘Plein Soleil’, Kehrer Publishing is now presenting her ninth monograph – which will be published this fall in a limited edition of only 800 copies. Order now so you don’t miss it.
In ‘Plein Soleil’, Jessica Backhaus ventures into the depths of abstraction – presenting an impressive visual symphony in which the interplay of color, surface and form are particularly prominent and form reigns dominantly. She crafts her images similar to architectural models, searching in the process for the brightest colors that match perfectly. She skillfully combines light with further elements to create surprising spatial structures. She does not merely paint with colors, she forms them.
Jessica tells GoSee : “The series was created out of my longing for color and my love for paper and light. My process is very intuitive and fluid. ‘Plein Soleil’ developed quite organically when I positioned paper of different colors in the bright and powerful sunlight and rearranged them to see where they would lead me. Once I could see that the composition was right and could feel the right tension, I finally shot the photo. I am interested in the dialogues that colors can engage in with one another. Form too plays an essential role, and I pay careful attention to the shadows that appear on the paper. It is a blend of light and darkness, and the interplay of the different hues and shapes that breathe life into these works.”
The series was just on display in an exhibition at Centre de la Photographie, Mougins.
Jessica Backhaus was born in Cuxhaven, Germany in 1970 and grew up in an artistic family. At the age of sixteen, she moved to Paris, where she later studied photography and visual communications. She met Gisele Freund there in 1992, who became her mentor. In 1995, her passion for photography drew her to New York, where she assisted photographers, pursued her own projects and lived until 2009. Her work has been shown internationally in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including the National Portrait Gallery, London, Berlin’s Martin-Gropius-Bau, and MARTa Herford. Kunsthalle Erfurt dedicated a large-scale museum exhibition to Jessica Backhaus in 2013.
Jessica Backhaus ‘Plein Soleil’
Otabind softcover 28 x 36 cm 96 pages, 41 color ills.
Texts: Christiane Stahl, Design: Hannah Feldmeier
English ISBN 978-3-96900-163-9 2024
