Leica M System

BERND ARNOLD (1961, Cologne – lives in Cologne)
From the “Power and Ritual” series, 1986–2004
Saying that traditional analog photography records superficial aspects of the visual world with incredible
precision is no doubt correct in a purely physical sense. However, it fails to highlight the boundaries of a
kind of photographic art that claims to take a look “behind the scenes”. This is precisely what concerns the
Cologne-based photographer Bernd Arnold, who concentrates on those areas of life where deliberate spectacle
and dedicated donning of a mask is to some extent part of the “Conditio sine qua non”. Although his
initial interest was in the rites and rituals of the Catholic Church, Arnold soon expanded his scope to the
fields of politics and the media and – by creating black and white photographs that are rich in both intelligence
and atmosphere – he demonstrated just how critical documentary photography can be these days.
Camera : LEICA M6/Lenses : LEICA ELMARIT-M 28 mm f/2.8, LEICA SUMMICRON-M 35 mm f/2 ASPH.
Courtesy of Bernd Arnold