Interview

Mar 17

Max Sonnenschein

Max was born in Werl, Germany, but has been living in Düsseldorf since 2012.

He is a photography artist, specializing in available light photography — fashion, portrait and art. Max portrays people in his studios in Berlin, Hamburg and Düsseldorf. Commentators of his portraits observe that there is a certain connection between the portrait and the viewer.

This closeness and familiarity is exactly what Max desires to capture with his camera. Not only the superficial, but also the invisible bond between him and each of his works.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“When I was 3 years old, I held a camera in my hand for the first time. I was fascinated with being able to capture things for a certain eternity. When I was 10, I took portraits of all my youth camp friends with my Agfamatic camera. Unfortunately, this passion took a backseat during my teenage years, which kept me busy with my discovery phase. When I was 20, the passion for photography was reignited by two friends, one a photographer and the other an art photography collector. That was when my self-taught journey into the art world began.”

What inspires you most?

“Courage, people, simplicity, melancholy and music are the things that influence me, and therefore my art. The word inspiration is not really tangible for me at the moment, and I have to define it first.”

“Part of my art consists of interpersonal relationships. It is important that the viewer describes and feels my work, and not me.”

What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?

“My current work deals with portraits of the German zeitgeist. There is only one message in my portraits: to be united.”

How would you describe your work?

“It's really hard to describe your own art. But if you ask me what makes a good portrait for me, it's the balancing act between abstraction and authenticity. If a photograph does not represent a person in an abstract and authentic way at the same time, it’s only a picture with a person, not a portrait.”

Which artists influence you most?

“Andreas Gursky and the Düsseldorf School of Photography are my biggest influences in general. I've always been fascinated by simplicity; capturing things that we all see but don't perceive, while also creating a world that seems close, familiar and yet fictional. I also like Peter Lindbergh, who never allowed the trends of his time dictate his work. He simply pulled his art through the way he was, and never lost his identity.”

What is your creative process like?

“My creative process is more impulsive than planned. I work intuitively, without trying too much myself. I feel my art. This works best for me. I find it better than chasing after a process that only appears to make you a true artist. My creative process is not having one. Feel more, think less — that’s my motto.”

What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?

“An artist in society can assume several roles. To feel, dream, admonish, reflect, to deal with and to act are just some of these roles. We are not just a shell of flesh and bones. So no matter what role an artist fills, they take care of the most important asset: the inside of a person. Without these nudges, we are lost. Art will always remain important to us forever, if we all want to evolve.”