Artist Statement

The artist and scientist in me are inseparably interwoven. Many aspects from both worlds are united in photography and enable me to take an alternative view of the world and to produce new links among elements of a scene.

For many years, my principal task as an experimental chemist was virtually a passion: the design and synthesis of new biomimetic molecules inspired by nature. In photography, I create fictitious, minimalist compositions using elements from nature and man-made technology. The two are united by an important aspect of my personality: the drive to creatively develop new things and realize them as tangible, visual objects comes from within me.

In the focus of my works are small creatures or non-living subjects from nature, which are brought together with industrially produced elements. I try to present this ‘nature versus technology’ contrast to the beholder and dissolve it photographically at the same time, so that the ultimate result of every composition is an aesthetically harmonious unity. To achieve this I use mainly the structures, shapes and colour of the selected elements which, in combining perspective, the right light, plus a minimalist presentation, yield an emotionally engaging overall piece. The clarity and order of the subjects with defined lines and shapes often play a special role in the process.

And yet the actual picture (the photograph) represents merely the first step of the artistic work. Only in a second step do I apply targeted digital post-editing in order to generate the final shape of my artistic photographic vision of the piece. The adjustments in the area of light, shadow and contrast are consistently aimed at lending the work my personal way of seeing, as well as at amplifying the desired impact on the beholder. This step enables me as an artist to find full expression creatively and freely, completely independently of the practical limitations that sometimes come to bear in the real world of close-up photography.

My intention, with my pictures, is to sweep the beholder into a macroworld beyond everyday experience, in which nature and technology created by humans work together in an unconventional way. With every image the beholder steps into a visionary space, in which a short story about a living being from our engineered environment is told and where, in the end, the two worlds merge into a unique entity. During this process, images arise which possess an aesthetic and a manner of expression of a novel kind, and thereby enable the beholder to partake in a novel emotional experience. However, the works are not only intended to be aesthetic, but they also have a cognitive aspect – they aid better understanding of the coexistence of nature and technology and demonstrate that the two worlds inseparably hang onto each other in a symbiotic relationship, complementing and mutually influencing each other.

Bio

Adam Neuba is a natural scientist, self-taught photographer, and artist. Adam was born in Poland and moved to Germany with his family in 1988 at the age of 10. After his school education he studied and graduated in chemistry at the University of Paderborn, where he currently works. More than ten years ago he started to devote himself intensively to photography, and over time he discovered his passion for artistic close-up and macro photography. Adam’s artistic style and photographic sensibility have emerged from his inquisitive and explorative creative process. His aesthetically minimalist compositions are characterized by fascinating perspectives and play of light in which elements of nature and man-made technology merge into a unique entity. Numerous of his pictures have been awarded international photo prizes in recent years. He lives in Paderborn with his wife and three children.

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