untitled

#1376/01

gelatin brom-silver print, selenum toned

signed, dated and numbered (pencil) on verso

Martin Waldbauer grew up on a farm in the Bavarian Forest and discovered photography at an early age. He photographs exclusively in classic black and white using medium and large format cameras and produces his own prints as handcrafted gelatin silver prints, often as toned lith prints on historical baryta paper. He considers each of his images to be unique and a "trace of time." Thematically, Waldbauer focuses on people, landscapes, and still lifes from his rural origins. His portraits, often of older people, craftsmen, or people with disabilities, show an unembellished, respectful closeness to individual traces of life. He seeks out the "normally unique," flaws, signs of age, and character.
Waldbauer's work follows in the tradition of New Objectivity and humanistic portraiture (as seen in August Sander or Robert Frank). His analog printing technique and use of historical materials combine classic photographic processes with a contemporary aesthetic. In the series and long-term project “Waldungen” (Woodlands), Waldbauer has been photographing atmospheric landscapes in the surrounding forests of his native region in the Bavarian Forest since 2017.
(Christoph Fuchs, translated with DeepL)