| Joerg
Otto Meier
ST.
PAULI |
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Here you can read the | ||
St. Pauli |
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For me, St. Pauli has many sides to it which are both endearing and exciting. First and foremost I think of the people who live or work in this part of town or happen to be there for some other reason. These people interest me. I'm fascinated by the way they are, by their faces and expressions. And I'm curious about the attitudes and fates that lie behind them. In short: I want to get to know these people personally. And through them, I want to find out more about myself. On my photographic expeditions through St. Pauli, I’m not interested in cashing in on a superficially researched, spectacular story which could easily get out of hand once it’s appeared in print. In this district in particular there are numerous victims of unscrupulous journalists who are interested solely in getting sensational pictures and couldn’t care less about the individual. I feel a responsibility towards every person I portray; I respect his or her personal dignity. What I write is also only conceivable on this basis. The texts are based on conversations which are not conducted according to any set pattern, but are simply allowed to develop naturally. These conversations help me overcome the general prejudices which cloud my perception. Time and again, the expression on the face of the person I’ve taken a photo of seems to me deeper, more endearing after we’ve talked. I’m gradually learning to read and understand people’s faces better. Many a too hastily formed opinion has thus turned out to be false! |
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| My thanks to all those 1993 the author adopted his full name again. Main menu | St. Pauli menu | German | Top of page © Joerg Otto Meier, St. Pauli Portraits |
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