The Showcase: Ivo Mayr

“The Showcase” is a publication featuring a photographer that has caught our eye here at The F STOP. I’ve asked Ivo Mayr to answer a few questions about his gravity-defying photography. PLEASE NOTE: Ivo Mayr is German and…surprise: English is not his first language. Consequently please excuse the frequent bracketed words we added to clarify his answers. 

Many of your photos involve people actively defying gravity, where did the idea first come from and when did you start creating these types of images?

The idea [evolved during] a period [in] 2005 when I rotated every photograph that I could [find]. I noticed that the meaning of a rotated picture could be completely different. In the beginning I took staged pictures of people in open urban spaces with a lot of concrete and flat elements. After that I tried out letting them make artificial poses, so that by rotating the picture it became a stunning effect. I liked the impression of people [who were] knocked off their feet, but still [remained] balanced. I called this work “Light-weight.“

What is the concept behind this body of work?

I’m interested in playing with the viewing habits of the observer. With my pictures I want to confuse my audience and force them to have a closer look in order to understand the  picture. The photo project “StadtLandFlucht“ where you can see flying people is about the state of mind between having lost your roots and longing for home. In this context flying has the meaning of loosing [one’s] roots and the feeling of being in-between.

The photo work “Passers-by“ is the result of a scholarship that I gained in summer 2007. My task was to create an artistic portrait of the city Koblenz in Germany. I [went up to] people in the streets, people who had attracted my attention due to their clothes, vibrancy, posture etc. I portrayed them detached from the ground, hanging on walls, trees or lanterns. These [images] represent the [attitude] of Koblenz in a very casual way.

I’m guessing you’ve either traveled in time to a future where people can fly and beamed your portfolio back to 2009 or you’re using a bit of Photoshop to create these images. Can you share your technique?

I use a lot Photoshop to create my images, if necessary I [combine] up to three pictures [to create one final image]. To keep a natural impression, [which is] important for the effect I think, I shoot different pictures from the same fixed position with a tripod [during a very short time and over a short] distance. The final images are composited [in] Photoshop.

Your locations are quite varied, from beautiful mountain backdrops to gritty city blocks, what compels you to choose a location for one of these images?

The sequence “StadtLandFlucht” that is presented here shows people on the one hand at their home location and on the other hand at a place that they don’t view as their home. [For the] home locations I have chose a rural area at the outskirts of the Alps (where I grew up) as a clear contrast to an urban surrounding. In a way I play with cliché images to create a kind of universal backgrounds recognizable for everyone.

What do you want your audience to take away from this body of work?

I want to play with the viewing habits of the observer, [I] want to force them to have a closer look in order to understand the picture. I [also] like touching [people with] humor. I often watch them laughing [and] surprised while looking at my images. I hope to impress the audience with my pictures, show them things as they have never have seen them before, so that they [will] never forget them.