BIOGRAPHY
Peter Plotnicki grew up as the son of a coal miner in Germany. During his studies as a fashion designer, he started working in the mines. Back then, he discovered his fascination for working garments and the beauty of essential details, and the complexity of simplicity. Peter's desire to take pictures and his passion for black and white photography arose at that time.
In 2010 he made his dream come true, and together with his wife Gitta, he revived the 100-year-old German textile brand Merz b. Schwanen. The inspiration for their garments' designs is authentic workwear, reflecting a timeless design and the beauty of plainness.
All the while, he had the desire to address himself to photography, but building up his brand was very time taking and didn't leave much space for his passion.
Since 2019 he has dedicated himself to going out on the streets and taking photographs whenever possible.
But not only did garments and photography catch his attention; moreover, Peter Plotnicki was captivated by the contrasts that he had mainly observed working underground:
up-down, sky-earth, black-white, airiness-massiness, light-dark, energy-matter.
He started to ask himself if all these elements were completely different things or just different gradations of the same? Where was the distinction between two opposites, or was there a gentle, not discernable transition?
Is there an objective reality or just a personal perception?
Peter Plotnicki is capturing these opposites in his photos, as well as the gentle transitions, and he poses the question to the observer:
What is your shadow?
What is your perspective?
What is your reality?