About

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I was born in Switzerland and raised in Möckmühl, a small historic town in Southern Germany. In keeping with European tradition, I initiated my rite of passage from youth to adulthood by visiting New York City.  Over the next two years I discovered the pulse of a new world in my travels throughout the Midwest, the West Coast and the Pacific North West.

A pivotal moment in my bohemian lifestyle came when I fell in with a group of artists: eclectic, strange, fun and inspirational people. They welcomed me into their community with open arms and helped forge the person I was to become. These encounters deepened my appreciation for the arts, refined my artistic vision and awakened my own desire to enter in a world where creativity and self-expression were held in high esteem.

During my studies in science and engineering, photographic images constantly rushed through my mind; I kept them inside like prisoners. Finally, a friend offered to sell me his old camera. This turned out to be by far one of my best investments – at last, I had found a way to unleash my ideas onto a visual medium.  The technical background in science and engineering enhanced my appreciation of light, shadow, perspective and form. This knowledge I would readily apply to my own photography.

Upon graduating from college, I moved to New Orleans. The separation from my close network of artist friends was difficult and troublesome, and working with the camera became my therapy.  The overwhelming beauty of the city and its underlying scent of sensuality influenced my creative work. This experience is reflected in my early work that focused on nudes juxtaposed with architectural elements.  I wanted to draw a connection between forms created by concrete material and the shape of the human body.   Inspired by a theatre performance, my exploration of the human form culminated in the Silver Series.”  This project introduced me to working in the studio and experimenting with lighting and body paint.  I eliminated the architecture, props and complex arrangements in order to find simplicity and calmness amidst the chaos of a high tech-driven lifestyle.

In Chicago, I began exploring commercial photography with local studios and photojournalism with Third Coast Press, a progressive newspaper.  Working as staff photographer and photo editor, assignments for the paper sharpened my critical outlook on local and world affairs and lent a new depth to my photographic work and myself.  As a result, my appreciation for the power of images is now stronger than ever.