Ulli Richter - Photography
- ‘Let’s Play’ at Adonis Art Gallery London -
2 August to 26 August 2005
His show at Adonis Art London marks the first ten years of Fetish Photography in London, Europe and America. Although the word ‘Retrospective’ sounds final and concluded, Ulli regards it as only the arrival at the beginning.
Beneath the surface Ulli Richter’s work is not pornographic but on the contrary Fine Art in a documentary context. On many levels it shows a degree of community, integrity, respect and most of all reality within the gay-male-fetish-scene that is missing in today’s society.
In a show of 35 carefully selected prints Ulli confronts us with society’s margin-walkers who he successfully portraits to be much saner and more sincere than the ‘good people’ who disapprove of them.
Coming from a family of alternative practitioners he has first hand experience of the power of spirituality. Anyone who has ever participated in an SM play scene and felt the intensity of the energy exchange between two people will understand that to him this is a form of spiritual healing.
He draws much of his artistic inspiration from the Greats of still and moving images as there are in particular Diane Arbus, Richard Avedon, Ellen von Unwerth and Federico Fellini.
Indeed most of his work carries a strong sense of surrealism and its darker preoccupation with sex and death. The people he photographs are complex individuals who appear threatening even aloof but are in fact kind, caring and full of passion. Ulli juxtaposes the deceptive force of a fetish scene, where in actual fact everyone can find a safe and consensual ground to live out his fantasies, against the real madness and mayhem of modern everyday life.
“I am working on a new style in the world of Fine Art photography that has been referred to as ‘Artcore’. I combine the kinky reality of a subculture with a poetic-symbolic and sometimes humorous approach thereby capturing and preserving the moment for the future.”
Ulli has worked for Australia’s Blue Magazine, as well as on promotions for London’s SMGays and Suzie Krueger’s HARD ON. He is proud to be associated with RoB London and SPEXTER Munich, both of which he has created iconic advertising campaigns for.
Ulli supplies regular features for LondonFetishScene.com, is the official photographer to International Mr Leather 2003 and 2004 and is currently working on a promotion drive for the Munich Lions Club, Europe’s largest gay-male-fetish-club as well as the Leather & Motorbike Community Vienna.
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Ulli Richter – represented by Christoph Knoch (Europe) and Manuela Hecht (UK) www.kinkinprint.com
ADONIS ART Gallery – 1b Coleherne Road, London SW10 9BS
www.adonis-art.com
The exhibition ‘Let’s Play’ will be running at Adonis Art from 2 August to 26 August 2005 and a Private View with the artist will be held on Tuesday, 2 August 2005 at 7.30 pm