ABOUT
Joachim Schmeisser, born in 1958, has made a name for himself in various branches of photography. As an advertising photographer, the Munich native started working for international companies in the 1980s, and he was a pioneer in analogue compositing with his use of multiple exposures.
But photography can be more than technical skill and a joy in experimentation. He has developed an equally impressive and compelling visual language based on his intense interest in his subject matter, his deeply personal view of the world, and his unique way of seeing and self-expression. The combination of his epic panoramas of animals in dramatic landscapes and the aesthetics of early b/w portraits are brimming with an unmistakable compositional power and an unmatched aesthetic. Not least because of this unique visual language, his photographic work stands out from other artists in this genre. His photographs are among the most sought-after works in this genre worldwide.
Joachim Schmeisser has gained widespread acclaim with his iconic wildlife portraits, receiving the prestigious Hasselblad Masters Award for his work in 2012. Renowned publishing houses have issued several books of his photography.
THE ETERNAL SUBLIME
His deep interest in and his unique view of the world are what contribute to the profound impact of Joachim Schmeisser’s work. His photographs are always difficult to describe because they transcend the familiar and depict what was once hidden, making it tangible.
Joachim Schmeisser is world-famous for his iconic images of Africa’s endangered wildlife. He received the prestigious. To him, animals are our equals with singular personalities. When we contemplate his images: we have a robust and empathetic connection with them and recognize ourselves in them.
Timelessness and intimacy are embedded in his photographs. The concept of the sublime becomes palpable here. We realize that we are witnessing something magnificent,
BEYOND PERCEIVED REALITY
These images, their phenomenal atmosphere, and their use of light and shadows are hard to describe in words. The sublime is timeless, yet it demands that we develop a sensitivity to the subtle as well as a grandeur far beyond any conventional sense of beauty – this is what Joachim Schmeisser’s photographs are all about.
INFINITY OF SPACE
He describes his work as “metaphysically experiencing the sublime.” The resulting photographs project a sense of never-ending space but not with people but with these magnificent animals.
Joachim Schmeisser shows us these animals as beings with individual personalities: their beauty, dignity, and vulnerability. Their irretrievable disappearance would destroy the delicate fabric of life on our planet.
The combination of his epic panoramas of animals in dramatic landscapes and the aesthetics of early b/w portraits are brimming with an unmistakable compositional power and an unmatched aesthetic. Not least because of this unique visual language, his photographic work stands out from other artists in this genre.
“I want my photographs to touch people emotionally, make them think, and draw attention to this precarious situation. I’m trying to sharpen our clouded view of our complex and fragile natural world,” – Joachim Schmeisser.
AWARDS
HASSELBLAD MASTER WINNER 2012
PRIX DE LA PHOTOGRAPHIE 2012
Graphis New York Gold 2009
Graphis New York Gold 2008
Graphis New York Gold 2007
Graphis New York Gold 2006
Graphis New York Gold 2005
Graphis New York Gold 2004
BOOKS
LAST OF THEIR KIND, teNeues Publishing House, 2021
ELEPHANTS IN HEAVEN, teNeues Publishing hous, 2017
EXHIBITIONS:
Galerie IMMAGIS, Munich, Germany 2023
Coe & Co Gallery, Palm Beach Art Fair, USA 2022
ECHO Fine Arts, Photo London, UK, 2022
Werkhallen Galerie Kampen, Germany 2022
Coe & Co Gallery, Nantucket, USA 2021
ECHO Fine Arts, France, 2021
IZZY Gallery, Toronto, Canada, 2021
Galeria K, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, 2020
Preiss Fine Art, Vienna, Austria 2020
Werkhallen Galerie Kampen, Germany 2019
Galerie Benjamin Eck, Munich, Germany 2019
Galerie IMMAGIS, Munich, Germany 2017
