Martina Lang
Martina Lang speaks with us about how she sees herself as a storyteller and how humor is irresistibly attractive.
Where are you from and where do you reside?
I grew up in rural Bavaria, Germany, close to the Alps, and have lived in London, UK for the past 7 years.
What stories do your photographs tell?
More than anything I identify with the profession of a storyteller. My work is about any subject and object that fascinates me. The underlying tone tends to be a humorous way to look at the world.
Can you tell us more about your Object series?
This series is an ode to ancient Japanese Shinto shrines, in which a sacred object (usually a mirror or stone) was obstructed from view for so long that their identity was entirely forgotten, hence being merely referred to as 'The Object'. What is important about the sacred matter in each piece is the mystery that surrounds it. This mystery is the key to The Objects' appeal and the displayed 'nothingness' serves as aid for meditation and contemplation.
Where do you draw inspiration from for subject matter in your work? Are the objects, shapes and colors you select inspired by a single source, or various sources?
I've always been fascinated in how the brain works and functions. Often I end up reading several books at a time (currently five), they merge in my head and create new links and stories some weird, some wonderful, some simply obscure.
What themes or motifs are you consistently drawn to?
I am always drawn to nature, maybe it has to do with my upbringing. I also find humour irresistibly attractive.
More than anything I identify with the profession of a storyteller. My work is about any subject and object that fascinates me. The underlying tone tends to be a humorous way to look at the world.
Martina Lang
Do you remember the first work of art that captured your attention?
When I was little I had a wallpaper catalog with which I crafted objects. It was very dark and floral-heavy. Within it were incredibly beautiful, surreal photographs by Sarah Moon. She was the first photographer I consciously came across and still admire deeply.
Can you tell us more about your Blind Escape series?
I took the blind as a recognisable object that unifies offices around the globe. This unity takes away from our individuality and has the potential to turn working areas into non-places. Through carefully crafting the blinds out of paper, I meditated on the space behind the shutters. Adding plants as living elements to the composition, seeking for light, it gently suggests thoughts of departure, and that of escape. Through my work I'm introducing windows seen from the outside back into the indoors, adding an illusion of space and possibility.
Post updated July 25, 2023.
