Bubblegum Club

Tag: Cathrin Schulz

  • Cathrin Schulz – a poetic approach to image-making

    Cathrin Schulz – a poetic approach to image-making

    1. photography. a merge. inevitable, it feel to me.

    These words are the opening of photographer Cathrin Schulz‘s bio on her website. They speak to her approach to image making, pointing to the idea that her camera has become part of her. Schulz’s description of her relationship with the camera reads as a kind of spiritual connection, as if the first time she pressed the shutter-release button was a moment of serendipity, an invitation from the universe to find her passion. The poetic introduction to her work from her bio is continued through the titles of her works and the layout of her site.

    The text that accompanies each series of images reveals sensibilities that see the work come full circle when presented to the viewer.

    Her series UN[DOMESTICATED] sees women photographed with wild animals as a visual signal to a kind of surrendering and undoing of the idea that women need to be “tamed”. The different animals come across as representations of their spirits, and the closeness between the women and the animals points to the idea that they are intimately engaged with their spirits.

    ‘UN[DOMESTICATED]’
    my motivation is to share my vision with the intention to leave the viewer changed. touched. intrigued. provoked. curious.

    Shadows, blurs and capturing intense gazes from the people she photographs directly articulates her motivation. One is pulled in, wanting to find out the story being told through the images. The delicacy and sensitivity with which her work comes together is evident in the balance between light and dark, creating mystery and evoking a sense of nostalgia all at once. It is as if each image is a paused moment from a romantic movie or a snippet of a dream that you remember in the middle of the day. The series 8 FT [UNDER]  alludes to this evocation.

    To check out more of Schulz’s work visit her website.

    ‘8 FT [UNDER]’
    ‘UN[DOMESTICATED]’
    ‘8 FT [UNDER]’
    ‘CRYING WOLVES’
    ‘ANXIETY TO BREATHE’
    ‘ANXIETY TO BREATHE’

  • The Wanderer – Stability through Movement

    In search of a meaningful way to stay intellectually charged and creatively engaged,  Jason Storey said goodbye to his corporate law position in New York and followed his dream of becoming a full-time designer in South Africa. He now explores fashion creatively in its various conceptual forms with the label he started with his sister – Unknown Union.

    When the label was launched in 2010, it took root in a retail store on Kloof Street in Cape Town, and it housed a collection of international brands alongside their own small capsule collection. 2014 saw the siblings open a design studio in Salt River. The same year also saw the inception of a larger collection that reflected upon the art, history and culture they encountered on the African continent. And in 2015 their brother Oscar left his job in the US to join the team. In their newest location on Bloem Street in Cape Town’s CBD, Unknown Union blends art, fashion, literature and music as a way to stay a “community of people that dig the arts.”

    Their latest offering is a collaboration with photographer Cathrin Schulz titled The Wanderer – Stability through Movement. This body of work is a crisp exhibition of Unknown Union’s garments and Cathrin’s extraordinary command of lighting. An additional layer to this visual treat comes in the form of a short fashion film shot by Anna Schulz. With a behind-the-scenes feel, the film opens with the model getting camera ready accompanied by the soothing tone of James Blake’s voice breaking free as the music starts, bringing one into the Wanderer’s journey. I had an interview with Jason to find out more about the project.

    Tell us a bit about The Wanderer – Stability through Movement and how it came into being?

    The Wanderer can be seen as a pilot for an upcoming series and a fruitful collaboration between Unknown Union and Cathrin Schulz. A team of creatives sat down and brought in their expertise as a form of creative exchange. The cultural diversity of the creators brought up a colourful mix of ideas, leading to the story of The Wanderer. The result is the art directed and photographed edition by Cathrin Schulz and a complementary film by Anna Schulz.

    What was the inspiration behind it?

    The source of the collaboration is to merge the creative languages into a synergy. Unknown Union weaves ancestral knowledge into fashion, while Cathrin Schulz infuses spirituality into her visual medium of photography. The red thread is to connect the respective visions and create an effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.

    The series found inspiration in conveying the concept of Human Design, a science of differentiation. The Wanderer is a primal aspect found on both of the artists’ work, to convey a deeper message – a message of interpreting experience, emotions and stories – into a stimulating form of expression.

    What is the message you wanted to convey with this film?

    The medium of film visualizes and highlights the project’s aspect of ‘Stability through Movement’. Its purpose was to portray the creative flow of the shoot, as well as giving access to the different angles of the scenes. The intended message is simple: the beauty of creative collaboration.

    What sparked the collaboration with Anna-Marie Schulz?

    The collaboration was sparked by Unknown Union’s openness to provide Anna Schulz with a creative platform of expression within ‘The Wanderer – Stability through Movement’. It is rooted in creative exchange.

    What can we expect to see from Unknown Union in the future?

    We are going to dig further into current themes as well as unveil some new themes at this year’s runway show on February 10, at SAMW (AW18). In March, we’ll open our newest location in Johannesburg – in Maboneng.

    With The Wanderer – Stability through Movement as the pilot,  Unknown Union’s partnership with Cathrin Schulz promises to bring about sheer viewing pleasure. To watch the film go to their Instagram.

    The Team:

    Clothing: Unknown Union

    Photographer: Cathrin Schulz

    Stylist: Kshitij Kankaria

    Hair & Make-Up: Richard Wilikson

    Model: Cristiano Palmerini

    Filmmaker: Anna Schulz