Frank Herfort, a young German photographer, who lives and works in Moscow and Germany, spent his youth in Leipzig (East Germany). His style is influenced by social realism: people are shown in their everyday life, which seems to be made up by banal details. Urban areas are captured in their vast dimensions. At a first quick glance this appears to be a frank, straightforward and clear reflection of ‘reality’. A longer reception reveals that this depiction can be seen as ironic, questioning and hyper-real.
While being a photography student at Hamburg art school he continuously assisted several different photographers. In addition, he worked as an assistant and freelancer in London while he participated in a scholarship program. Thus he familiarized himself with the professional working process. Flexibility, diligence, conscientiousness and clarity are his strengths while dealing with clients. Over the years, he acquired a range of different photography awards. He specializes in photography of people, architecture, interior and combinations of these.
Frank Herfort lived Moscow for four years. He photographed interiors, architecture and people for Russian and global clients from the advertising, editorial and construction industries. His high-quality technique is transferred to his personal projects and characterizes his style. He is passionate about shooting original, authentic and surreal images from the fascinating worlds of super rich and super poor Russia.
Central focus of Frank’s artistic work is exploring the contrasts and contradictions of life in contemporary Russia. Whether situated in the austere, crumbling remains of Soviet society or the opulent homes of modern Russian oligarchs, the spellbinding results demonstrate a singular talent for documentary storytelling. These immersive environments intrigue with people and riveting places are seemingly caught out of both time and context.
About ‘Fairy Tale from Russia’:
“Cinematic, dream-like shots of Russia—none of them staged—speak to the cardinal importance of composition and the subtle art of “becoming part of the interior.”
German photographer Frank Herfort has spent over a decade photographing the insides of various public spaces throughout Russia—spaces that, incidentally, are lacking a public. An architectural photographer by trade, Herfort’s personal work pays homage to the old-fashioned, Stainlist decor that still consumes many Russian interiors. Yet Herfort’s work brings a modern twist, seemingly imported from the outside, that eradicates markers of time or context and persuades the viewer to create their own narrative.
Herfort’s previous body of work, “Imperial Pomp”, shows a different side to Russia—a hyper-modern terrain that boasts intimidating skyscrapers and a vanguard mentality. The booming, modern external world intensifies the unsettled feeling that comes over the viewer as we witness the apparent bewilderment—and isolation—of the people in “Russian Fairy Tales.” It appears that they are seeking refuge from the looming modernization within the comforting, antiquated remnants of the past.
The surrealist aesthetic denies journalistic fact, yet Herfort successfully captures a bemusement that is shared by members of Russia’s general public. What’s more, he conceptually demonstrates the psychological effects that environments have on their inhabitants.
