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„Edgar’s World. –A Declaration of Love to Poverty, Being Crazy and to You!”

Such a title, such a topic. How can anyone come up with that? Maybe, Chris Johns (photographer/​Oregon) can provide an answer to that, even though it might only be fragmentary.

„In photography, passion will never get lost. You will never stop seeking the soul of what you take pictures of.”

Love, poverty, being crazy. Soul fits in that enumeration well. To seek the soul, to find the soul, to reach the soul, to show the soul. A common association with poverty is antisocial behaviour. Ergo: Being poor is the same as being antisocial. Is that really true? That is the question a piece of photography is supposed to ask itself. It is supposed to encourage the viewer to think about this equation and to get into conversation about it.

Poverty, as everything else, has many faces full of nuances. Each of the following equations should actually be formulated as a careful question. However, this is not about grammar or politics, but about art. Therefore:

Poverty is sad. Poverty is dreary. Poverty is friendly. Poverty is happiness. Poverty is love. Poverty is gracefulness. Poverty is (also only) life. Most interestingly, Mathew’s gospel says for instance: „Blessed are the POOR in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” It is also from this point of view that poverty becomes worth being explored.

The opposite of poverty is wealth. Or does it only seem to be like that? The possession of no money in the world can serve as proof of love. Poverty simultaneously has a harder and an easier time of it. Making colour out of nothing, giving happiness out of nothing, loving with nothing, being happy with nothing, living and enjoying out of nothing –that is art.

The photographs are meant to take up and portray some of the ideas and speculations mentioned above. The shots are supposed to range between reality, exaggeration and fantasy. The female protagonist will change noticeably, and still remain the same.

From time to time, angels appear unshaved, dirty and smelling with alcohol.

If people allow that they are equipped with resources and abilities, if they bring them into play for others –then they will begin to change, will become another human being, a special one. And if they allow for others to be provided with resources and abilities, if they seek those resources and abilities, they will find them. All of a sudden, the others will turn into special human beings. Suddenly, there is a light glowing in every human. The point in question is not whether this is wished for in a society which focuses on deficiencies, but whether every single one of us allows that. That is what the photo story is about.

(Almost) nothing turns out to be as it seemed at first glance. It is worth looking at it twice, three or more times, it is worth asking yourself questions and looking for answers.

In order to add some texts to the photographs, students of a vocational school were confronted with the topic „poverty”, they were asked questions whose answers have been fitted in here. And there are some epigrams taken from my book „My last words: Do it better!”, which fit the topics of the photographs. Everyone can view the photos and texts on their own, weigh them in their hearts and minds and draw their individual conclusions.