Artist Dörte Fitschen-Rath

 

New York City I 2020 I 120mm

"Our body is a phenomenon. It allows us to feel, move, experience, live. We can teach our bodies to learn certain disciplines and train it to perfection. Or we can simply move out of joy, for a sensual experience or a kick of adrenaline.

In surf culture, joy, adrenaline and sensuality lay closely and in some instances overlap. The sport can take the body to physically unimagined levels and on other occasions, it can be a rather sensual experience. In this story, my focus is on the latter. While complicated commands from the mind allow the body to rise on the board and conquer the waves, the senses are awakened and send the mind on a journey: the early morning hour, the vast ocean, the sun kissing the face, the scent of saltwater, clashing waves against the body, a moment of pause and gaze onto the waves, and although it is an active sport, stillness and peace. The body moves while the mind wanders. A beautiful connection between the two, moving in synchronicity and yet wandering in independence to recharge and simply feel. Out on the ocean, the body allows the mind to rest from the everyday. The body is the mind’s vehicle to disrupt the mundane in anticipation for something fantastic and a dose of fuel to manage reality.

The surfer appreciates their body for that and maybe we just have to be a little more like them and appreciate our bodies to give our minds a break. Ongoing series." - Doerte Fitschen-Rath

 

Doerte’s distinctive, often raw imagery infused with painterly qualities derive from an emotional place. She finds a range of expression in analog and digital photography, depending on her subject matter. Her poetic take on life and the streets of New York are mostly captured with a softer focus, literally and expressively. In some cases she technically enhances softness to offset a sharper take. While staying in close proximity to her subjects, she finds the essence of the moment running the gamut from movement to stillness.