#joachim brohm

[joeinct]

Office Window (from the series: Ohio), Photo by Joachim Brohm, 1983-84

[germanpostwarmodern]

„Out of the ground grow hills, from which the rocks break. They are split by the gorge. The rocks of metal and the hills of walls are pierced by spaces and paths that reach under the water.“

Although these sentences don’t evoke architecture in the first place they were indeed written by architect Günther Domenig as a characterization of his „Steinhaus“, an archi-sculpture in Steindorf on the shores of Lake Ossiach, Austria. From 1986 onwards Domenig created this work in progress as a „built I“ for the simply sake of being built. Consequently, the house is highly abstract and defies easy legibility.

By chance photographer Joachim Brohm in 1989 met the architect at the construction site, an encounter that led to his long-term photographic documentation of the house until around 1994. During this period the building-shell progressed and an impressive series of photographs developed alongside the building and its unique architecture.

As a result of the research into his photographic archive Brohm rediscovered his Steinhaus series and in 2023 decided to re-edit it in collaboration with Fotohof > Archive. In addition Brohm had the photographs edited by Alexander Rosenkranz for the present publication: „Stoned“ offers a different take on the series by inverting the images, a move that increases the degree of abstraction of the photos and offers a different visual experience of Domenig’s house. Thus, the inverted images particularly stress the character of the house as an abstract sculpture and make the architect’s previously quoted word even more comprehensible. Leafing through the book the reader might even think be reminded of glacial deposits or splintering ice, motifs that once again underscore why it is an icon of Deconstructivism.

Although the photos, due to their experimental surface, are somewhat unusual for Joachim Brohm they still showcase his experienced eye for architecture and offer a stunning new perspective on a fascinating building. Hence, „Stoned“ is a true piece of art!

[photobookjunkies]

📚One from our personal bookshelf:

Ohio by Joachim Brohm (Steidl, 2009)

www.photobookjunkies.com

[slack-wise]

Joachim Brohm

[sunkentreasurecove]

[sevensucks]

Joachim Brohm

[lafilleblanc]

Joachim Brohm

Untitled (Mondrian), 2015

archival pigment prints mounted on Alu-Dibond

joachimbrohm.com

© Joachim Brohm

From the series State of M.

[fliegender]

Joachim Brohm, Untitled (Industrial Landscape), 1990.