About me

I was born in Düsseldorf, Germany in 1958; after my schooling days the education in agricultural sciences at the University of Göttingen followed. Since 1986, I have been working as self-employed farmer in Düsseldorf.

Motivated by my teachers in school, I got into photomicrography 35 years ago. At that time we experimented with analogue film material in black-and-white. With the upcoming of the digital era photomicrography intensified continuously since 1998.

Arbeitsplatz

We often discuss about the structures found in microscopic images; do we see a true reflection of what is present in nature or are these structures artifacts, caused by our preparation or combination of preparation procedures? Apart from the correct scientific representation the esthetic perception of these structures is not disturbed at all, I think. These esthetics in photomicrography captivate me immensely.

Arbeitsplatz

Beyond documentary aspects my special interest points to the artistic value of the microcosm. Structures, patterns and colors, which we can explore with the microscope, are novel and sometimes weird, however often curiously enough familiar in symmetry and self-similiarity.

The following quotation by Andreas Feininger puts it in a nutshell :

...common objects of nature on closer examination can reveal unexpected qualities that can fill the mind with awe and respect....What I set out to do was to elevate common textbook knowledge to the level of intellectual awareness and understanding, to the point where appreciation becomes enjoyment.

(A.Feininger (1986): In a Grain of Sand; Exploring Design by Nature)