Artist's Statement

Painting with Light

Thomas Gretener from Cham has been taking photographs for around 50 years. Ten years ago, in his search for new forms of expression, he came across the principle of the "camera obscura": photography without a lens, but with an attachment that lets little light onto the data carrier. The digital camera becomes a pinhole camera. The focal length: an unspectacular 45 mm. The aperture: low f / 180, so you need a lot of light or a tripod. The technique becomes secondary, but observation becomes more important. Photography turns to a minimalist principle. Lines and shapes determine the motif. The colors blur and the photograph becomes a picture: painting with light. The image quality is modest: The images are perceived as blurred, overexposure and color errors alienate them and moving objects flow. On the other hand, the photos have a graceful aesthetic with a beautiful tonality. They stand in stark contrast to today's sharp images from modern cameras.

www.thomasgretener.com