The German artist, based in Paris, masterfully coordinates photography, drawing and sculpture; surrealism and the color black regain their vital force in all the dichotomous variations of his work.
His work possesses a spectral quality; a distortion of the visual and a revision of perspective offer a fascinating viewpoint. Marcus Schaefer, a graduate of the Munich Academy of Fashion and Design, quickly fell in love with photography during a mandatory internship. Since then, the multidisciplinary artist, born in Frankfurt and now based in Paris after living in London, has built his career by capturing his vision of the world in images that border on monochrome fine art photography. "My work focuses on the complex relationship between human beings and living in society.", he explains. "Being human essentially means having one's own reality, whereas living in society means living in a predetermined reality, created by humans."
Between figuration and abstraction
Marcus Schaefer's work probes the spectral nature of the color black with rare singularity, defining it as "the embodiment of dichotomy," "multidimensional," and "absorbent," to reveal different sensibilities. His images thus express the full complexity of emotions, reflecting his multiple "personal avenues of escape." They are captivating and emotionally compelling. Clearly, the aesthetics of the Surrealists haunt his portfolio, with Man Ray and Miró foremost among them. Marcus Schaefer masterfully combines fashion photography, intimate portraits, design objects, conceptual images, still lifes, and landscapes, imbuing them with a truly contemporary feel. His visual compositions and atmospheres create a space-time continuum, reinterpreting reality according to his own vision of the world and highlighting self-expression.
Black and white vs. color
The artist thus draws the viewer into a timeless journey on the border between the real and the supernatural. His photographs possess a seductive and captivating quality, but also a disturbing and elusive quality. This feeling is reinforced by his embrace of imperfection and chance in order to achieve a distinctive effect. While variations of black remain central to his process, his approach to color, through its nuances, equally underscores themes of identity, intimacy, vulnerability, and sensitivity. Marcus Schaefer masterfully controls this interplay of shadows and light, geometry and contrasts, props and mirrors, ultimately embracing the forms of painting and sculpture. His drawings, moreover, are intended as a direct expression of his emotions, guiding his visual narratives in photography, much like his sculptures, which come to life in the real, three-dimensional world.
Photo credits © Marcus Schaefer
France paris